Jack Rose was born on September 13, 1996, in Monterey, California. As early as he could speak, Jack voiced his love of firefighting, fire trucks, and the camaraderie within the fire community.

In 2015, we were having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that firefighting wasn’t a phase for Jack. No matter what was said, Jack never wavered in his passion, and he let it be known that he wasn’t planning on changing his mind. We don’t think he understood that our resistance was out of love and fear—fear of losing Jack to something that we couldn’t control. In an attempt to make us understand his passion, he sent a text with a picture of a firefighter and a Bible verse: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. – John 15:13

Everything we needed to know was in that simple verse.

Before he was eligible to join the fire department, Jack would make his family take him on fire calls. He did this to learn as much as he could about firefighting so he could be as prepared as possible when he was old enough to join.

Jack enrolled with the Mount Marion Fire Company on his 16th birthday. Once he joined the company, he was there on a daily basis either training or doing his homework while waiting for a call. If Jack wasn’t at the firehouse, he could be found in his living room looking at training videos online, where he studied and took notes on those videos day and night.

Jack was our light. He had an innocent face, but he was incredibly quick in his wit and sarcasm. His laugh was contagious, and his smile was filled with charm. Anywhere you went with Jack, it was known that you had to stop by a local firehouse to buy a shirt and tour the house. He was loyal to the brotherhood.

In addition to his dedication to the fire service, he was dedicated to his family—his mom, Linda; dad, Gary; brother, Matt; sister-in-law, Jess; and niece, Marley. We remember him not only for his fire service, but for his incredibly sarcastic sense of humor, quick wit, and playful nature. He was loyal to his family and friends. He was our Jack, and we were honored to have him while we could.

Jack was our son, our brother, and our uncle. But most importantly, he was our hero. We are so proud of our Jack, and he would be incredibly honored to see this tribute made to him. Thank you for taking the time to acknowledge him.