Gus Losleben, age 69, departed this life on Tuesday, December 9, 2014, at the age of 69. Gus was killed in the line of duty from injuries sustained in a terrible crash en route to a house fire.

He was born on November 3, 1945, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to the late Gustav W. and Marian Kennedy Losleben of Fort Myers, Florida .

Gus served in the United States Navy from 1965 until 1969 as an aviation electronics technician in radio and navigation, attaining the rank of petty officer second class.

Gus worked at Florida Power & Light as instrument and control as an itinerant specializing in nuclear power plant overhauls all over Florida from February 1982 and as chief job steward for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers until retiring in December 2004.

After retiring, Gus and his wife, Megan Tennille Patrick, traveled all over the United States for two years, searching for a place to start a farm. They bought 23 acres of raw land in 2009 in rural Savannah, Tennessee, and built their dream farm raising organic produce and managing their herd of dairy goats, making butter and cheeses and tending their flock of chickens.

Gus became a volunteer firefighter in 2010, as he felt a call to duty when District 6 firefighters responded to what ended up being a false alarm at the farm. After joining, he found that he loved the fire department and the camaraderie, the sense of family and brotherhood.

Gus will be especially remembered as an honorable and honest, giving man, avid photographer, wood worker, and gardener. He loved the ocean, sailing, mystery novels, and jigsaw puzzles. He also loved to play the piano and sing in the privacy of his home.

He is loved and missed by all who knew him. His final ride was in Ladder 64, his favorite big boy toy. In honor of his love of the water, his remains will become part of the Eternal Reef system in Sarasota Bay, Florida, on October 11, 2015.