Late Firefighter Remembered As Kind Soul At Funeral In Anne Arundel County

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Anne Arundel County honored a late firefighter Wednesday with a public funeral in Glen Burnie. The full service details are posted at the bottom of this story.

Firefighter III L. Wayne Brown Jr. was born and raised in Baltimore County. He graduated from Baltimore's Mount Saint Joseph High School in 1994 and went on to serve in the Anne Arundel County Fire Department for 21 years. He was an apparatus driver on B shift at Station 5 in Waugh Chapel.

Brown died Sunday at age 46 after an unexpected medical event while at his home.

"Wayne's passion for his profession was commonly shared with those around him," the fire department wrote in his obituary. "He willingly served as a coach and mentor to new and senior firefighters alike. He was a trusted voice and helping hand around the firehouse and always knew how to brighten every room he entered with his infectious smile and warm heart."

Family Man

Brown prioritized his family. As an accomplished athlete, he was proud to watch many of his kids excel in hockey, soccer and baseball.

"Wayne was most proud of his roles as a devoted husband to his loving wife, Jessica and father to his five amazing children," the obituary said. "Wayne was a reliable presence at his children's many events and activities while always finding creative ways to show Jessica how much he loved her."

Brown was a skilled handyman who could fix almost anything. He also cared for his yard meticulously.

Brown's surviving relatives include:

• His wife: Jessica
• His five children: Justin, Nicholas, Summer, Mason and Kinsley
• His parents: Larry and Gertrude
• His three sisters: Christine, Michelle and Gina

Shirt Fundraiser

Crews are now selling shirts to fundraise for Brown's family. T-shirts ($25), long-sleeve shirts ($30) and hooded sweatshirts ($40) are all available at brownstrongshirts.com.

The front of the shirts says "#BROWNSTRONG968 Anne Arundel County Fire Department." The shirts repeat a similar message on the back with Brown's name written in a Maryland flag font.

Organizers will donate $10 from each shirt to Brown's family. The effort had raised $6,690 by the time this story was published.

The initiative is a partnership between the Anne Arundel County Fire Department, the Anne Arundel County Professional Fire Fighters union as well as National Ink and Stitch.

Funeral Details

A procession led from Singleton Funeral & Cremation Services to Lighthouse Church between 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m.

Residents paid their respects Wednesday at the church, located at 6691 Baymeadow Drive Suite No. 200. The public viewing was from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The funeral started at 2 p.m.

Another procession followed after the service and returned to the funeral home, located at 1 2nd Ave. S.W. That procession ran from 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Related: Firefighter Dies After 21 Years Of Serving Anne Arundel County: Report