Capt. Martin Green, a veteran firefighter with the Tucson Fire Department, died Saturday after a sudden illness. He was 51.
Green joined the department in 1990 and served as a firefighter and engineer before becoming a captain, said TFD spokesman Capt. Barrett Baker. He is survived by his wife and three children.
The Tucson Firefighters Associationβs Facebook post saying βit is with a heavy heart that we inform you of the passing of our brotherβ was met with hundreds of messages of condolence from community members, as was a similar post by TFD.
Maredith Clack, pastoral associate at the Most Holy Trinity Parish where the Green family are parishioners, said she has been in contact with the family and they are grateful for the βamazing outpour of love and supportβ from the community.
Clack described Green as a βloving, kind gentleman who would give you the shirt off his back.β
βAnytime you needed something he was always there,β Clack said. βHeβs going to be missed tremendously.β
One of Greenβs contributions to the fire department was to communicate with the Spanish-speaking community, such as through interviews with the Telemundo news station, Baker said.
Marcos E. Moreno, youth minister at Most Holy Trinity, said he grew up a few blocks from Green in South Tucson.
Green had a warm personality and would always greet him with a βhandshake and a smile,β Moreno said.
Green and his brother fixed up properties in South Tucson and rented them, rather than flip them for a quick profit, Moreno said, adding the Greens were known as kind-hearted landlords.
South Tucson considers itself a small town and Green was a βsmall-town legend.β
βThis was a man who never forgot where he was from, the way they were raised,β Moreno said.
Services are tentatively planned for 9 a.m., Saturday at St. Augustine Cathedral, 192 S. Stone Ave. After the burial, a reception is planned at Most Holy Trinity, 1300 N. Greasewood Road.
