Shortly before 2:40 p.m. Sunday the shrill blare of a fire department pager pierced the silence of the auditorium at Louisburg College in a final call for the late Louisburg Fire Department Capt. Thomas Ray Patterson.
As family, friends and fellow firefighters sat quietly and listened, the dispatcher acknowledged that Patterson’s tour of duty on Earth had ended and that he had now become a “Guardian” who would guide and protect firefighters as they serve.
“Rest easy, friend,” said the voice that came through the pager. “We will take it from here.”
Patterson died Thursday. He served more than 50 years in the North Carolina Fire Service, including six years as a captain with the Eastover Fire Department and more than 36 years with the Louisburg Fire Department.
His service in the Louisburg Fire Department included the roles of lieutenant, captain, assistant chief, and secretary/treasurer.
The Rev. Ted Jones, pastor of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Nashville and the husband of Patterson’s daughter Michelle, said in the eulogy at the celebration of life service for Patterson Sunday afternoon that Patterson possessed “noble and commendable characteristics” that included love for people, love for the Louisburg Fire Department and a commitment to public service.