Captain Brad Allan Sherwood was born January 17, 1968, in Cedar Falls, Iowa, to Peggy and the late Darryl Sherwood. He graduated from Dike High School in 1986 before attending Ellsworth and Hawkeye Community Colleges. After graduation, Brad began working at L&M Transmission. He excelled at rebuilding transmissions and was known near and far for his work. Brad continued working part-time at L&M throughout his fire career.

Brad served for 27 years as a firefighter and EMT. He earned his first responder certification in 1994 and began volunteering for the Cedar Falls Fire Department in 1997. He was hired full-time in 2001, became an EMT in 2005, and was promoted to captain in 2009.

Brad’s love for the fire service was evident in everything he did. He received numerous awards throughout his career, including an Award of Honor for selfless actions that saved a life. In 2015, he was honored as Fire Officer of the Year. He was a subject matter expert in fire truck maintenance and firefighter protective gear. Brad’s dedication to his fire and EMT teams was unwavering, and he was passionate about keeping them and the community safe. Brad’s personal and professional life was devoted to helping others, a testament to his selflessness and dedication.

Brad’s love for his family was boundless. They were his number one priority, always coming first. He was most proud of his children. His locker was covered in family photos, overlapping layers of love and memories. Brad chose fatherhood; he had been his children’s dad since both were very young and officially adopted them in 2012.

Brad loved spending time at his family farm, purchased from his Grandma Sherwood in 2001. The same place where he and his close friends made childhood memories had become his escape as an adult. When not at one of his two jobs, you’d find him on the farm working on a car, building a skid loader, reclining in his nap chair, drinking a Pepsi, or petting his shop cats (with an occasional cat-selfie sent to the family group chat). He looked forward to retiring in a few years and spending every day sitting on a porch swing overlooking the beautiful farmland—his piece of heaven.

Brad left behind his deeply grieving family, his wife and the love of his life, Carrie; his daughter, Madeline; his son, Carter; and his sister, Julie.

Brad was his family’s selfless hero, a shining light who brightened their lives every day. His absence has left a void that can never be filled, and the world is undoubtedly dimmer without him.