Submitted by his wife

On a stormy night‚ July 7‚ 2005‚ the remnants of Hurricane Cindy hit Rockdale County‚ Georgia with numerous amounts of fallen trees‚ downed power lines‚ and disastrous conditions. On the way to his 15th call of the night‚ Thomas A. Hurlbert‚ Jr.‚ fell forward onto the steering wheel of the fire truck with a massive heart attack. The firemen and ambulance personnel worked tirelessly to revive him‚ but to no avail. Tom had been a dedicated Fire Apparatus Operator for the Rockdale County Fire Department for 18 years. He was also a Paramedic for 21 years. He served 8 years in the Marine Corps and was a Vietnam veteran. Tom was a chronic overachiever with a proven success record. His drive came from his unconditional love for his family. He was very dedicated to two things – his family and the fire service. He was the tower of strength to his wife and children. To his grandchildren he was a hero‚ a best friend‚ and an irreplaceable icon in their lives.

Tom always strived for more. His work ethic raised the bar for those he worked with. He was always thirsty for knowledge and would attend any courses he could to further his education. He even started instructing CPR and NPQ classes. His loyalty not only to his family at home‚ but his family and friends at the department earned the respect of all who were honored to know him.

Tom was quick witted‚ had a great sense of humor‚ and was the most honest person you could ever meet. He stood up for what he believed in and strived to always do the right thing. He was a great man and will be missed by all. His memory will always be close to our hearts.

Tom loved to play his guitar‚ enjoyed hiking on the Appalachian Trail‚ traveling in his RV‚ boating‚ fishing‚ and was fascinated with lighthouses. Tom is survived by his loving wife‚ Barbara; his five children‚ Jennifer‚ Christopher‚ James‚ Angela and Heather; and his seven grandchildren‚ Destiny‚ Whitney‚ Chandler‚ Madison‚ Benjamin and Heidi…plus a baby girl to be born September 30‚ 2006. Also‚ two sons-in-law – Erick and Scott and one daughter-in-law – Ashley.