My husband, Captain Raymond Wynn, was with the Kansas City Fire Department for 32 years. He was extremely proud to be a firefighter and always said, “If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life.” Several words that best describe him are passionate, loyal, and positive. He was fiercely protective of his three independent, responsible, and talented kids, both sides of our blended family, and his brothers and sisters on the job while serving his community.

Ray will be remembered not only for his strong advocacy on behalf of firefighters, but also for his love of music, golf, and football.

Ray was diagnosed with three separate primary tumors on his tongue, neck, and lung. He was determined to do whatever it took to beat it and made sure his family, doctors, nurses, and friends all carried his positive mental attitude (PMA) through the last brutal five years of his fight. We expected him to beat lung cancer just as he fought tongue and neck cancer. Ultimately, he lost his decade-long battle with cancer on the evening of March 27, 2021, at home, surrounded by our love.

We were both convinced that all three types of his cancer diagnosis were due to exposures he encountered and the gear that he was provided during his career as a firefighter. Along with his children, Monica, Julie, and Dan, I continue the fight to educate and help provide a path for others who may have to deal with cancer and the associated care.

There is not a day that goes by, or a milestone of birthdays, weddings, and family get togethers, that we do not all miss him terribly. He didn’t do anything small or quietly, and his infectious spirit has left a massive void in our hearts.

No amount of money can heal our hearts, but by being persistent and steadfast, we did receive judgement that his death was in fact a line-of-duty fatality. This will not bring Ray back to us, but there is a small comfort knowing that he would want us to be taken care of in his absence. There are several resources that Local #42 assisted with to help us navigate the medical and legal process. It is our hope that if another family inevitably must endure this brutal reality, these same resources are made available to them.

We could not have survived this journey for the last several years without our firefighter family and union support, as they were all consistently “on call” for our family, every day and every step of the way. We are blessed to be part of such a special group. First responders go above and beyond the line of duty to protect the communities they serve and never ask why.