SOUTH KINGSTOWN — Chief Steven Pinch and the Union Fire District of South Kingstown report that South Kingstown firefighters attended a modified memorial service last week to honor and remember local fallen firefighters.
On Sunday, Sept. 27, Union Fire District personnel were joined by members of the Kingston Fire District at the memorial service, planned by the South Kingstown Fireman’s Relief Association. The service slightly differed from the memorial typically held each September, due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The ceremony honors three South Kingstown Firefighters who have been killed in the line of duty. They include:
- William E. Gray, who passed Feb. 14, 1967
- Byron H. Love, who passed April 28,1968
- Allan P. LePage, who passed June 30, 2009
This year, due to restrictions related to COVID-19, South Kingstown firefighters held a smaller ceremony, attended by the families of the fallen, UFDSK and KFD chiefs and an honor guard from the Kingston Fire District. While the typical parade that goes along with the service was cancelled, Union Fire District vehicles took part in a drive-by procession at the end of the ceremony.
“We have not forgotten — and will never forget — those who we have lost in the line of duty,” Chief Pinch said. “Despite the restrictions of the pandemic, it is important to take the time, as we do each year, to remember the sacrifices made by firefighters everywhere. This especially includes William Gray, Byron Love and Allan LePage, who each gave their lives in service of their community.”