The town of St. George, N.B. is continuing to remember the deaths of four people in their small community of about 1,500 people and that remembrance has included a tribute to one man who was an honorary member of the fire department.
READ MORE: ‘The community’s grieving’: N.B. town mourns family lost in house fire
On Tuesday, crews were called to a home on South Street at about 12:20 p.m. Following the fire, the bodies of three men and one woman were discovered.
New Brunswick RCMP told The Canadian Press that foul play was not suspected, but they are still investigating. They also said autopsies are being done on the bodies.
Rick Doucet, the area’s member of the legislature, said in an interview with The Canadian Press that those found inside were Esther Boyd and her adult sons Davey, Billy and Robbie.
Multiple sources have confirmed to Global News that the mother didn’t go out too much other than attending her church, and of the three boys, Davey was the highest functioning. Town councillor Sterling Harris told The Canadian Press that each son, believed to be in their 50s, had mental challenges.
Davey was said to be frequently seen around town. Mayor Crystal Cook told Global News on Tuesday that Davey was an “honorary member” of the fire department over the last 40 years.
People in the community told Global News that Davey was well-known for his dedication to the department and would be greatly missed.
On Tuesday, Cook said Davey was at the town hall for the arrival of the community’s new fire truck, and said he was “grinning ear to ear.”
“Yesterday was going to be a day of celebration,” Cook said Wednesday.
She said she had gone out to get a cake from the store to be part of the afternoon celebrations when she got a call from the town’s chief administrative officer telling her the news.
“It was awful. One of the worst days for our community – ever,” Cook said.
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“It’s been a tough morning, a tough night, a sleepless night. I’m hurting for our fire team, I’m hurting for our community. It’s been a tragedy.”
Firefighters have put “David B. Boyd 1961-2017” on the new truck in his memory.
WATCH: New Brunswick RCMP are investigating after the bodies of three men and a woman were discovered following a house fire on South Street in St. George, N.B. Global’s Adrienne South tells us how the community is reacting.
A Tuesday post on the town’s Facebook page recognized the tragedy.
“We can not express in words how we are feeling but take comfort in knowing we are a strong community and we will make it through this together,” the post read.
About 130 people responded, with various messages of condolences, prayers and thoughts.
“Davey was always so proud of his uniform and his town,” one person wrote. “He always wore a smile and that smile grew when you acknowledged him and his attire. His mom was a wonderful woman of faith who taught Sunday school when I was a kid, and was kind and caring. She worked hard caring for her boys.”
Staff at The Birch Grove Restaurant are also feeling the hurt of losing Davey. Cecily Stewart said he was the “town mascot” and the restaurant’s “mascot.” She said he came every day at 1:30 or 1:40 p.m. In the past nine years she had worked there, “he never missed a day.”
“He was always pleasant, happy, always grateful for anything you did,” Stewart said. “There wasn’t anything you could say about Davey that wasn’t great. If he trusted you, he loved you. In return, I guess we loved him too.”
She told Global News that Davey also had a table – table 13 –he liked to sit at and would wait at another table if his wasn’t ready.
Stewart said that losing Davey had added significance because Saturday would have been his 56th birthday.
“He was just a great young fella in the community and everybody knew him, and he had his routine he followed through town, and there’s nothing you couldn’t say that was just wonderful about Davey,” she said. “He just tugged at your heart.
“It’s difficult because like I say, it’s, he’s, it’s like losing part of a family. He’s just part of our routine, like you just expected him.”
Cook told Global News that the town is trying to provide added supports to the fire department. She said mental health has also reached out to come to the community and help.
She added that the responses from people both in and outside St. George have helped as the community tries to recover.
“I just want to say I’m just so overwhelmed and humbled by the outpouring of support from residents and surrounding communities and fire departments and just everyone,” Cook said. “It’s just been wonderful, the support we’ve received. And it just shows how much that Davey and this family were loved.”
—With files from The Canadian Press.
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