Richard “Rick” Todd, 58, was a loving husband to Julie for 38 years filled with love and many blessings. He was an amazing father to Richie and Alie and a Pappy to grandsons Perry, Paxton, and Vance. Unfortunately, he did not get to meet his granddaughter, Ellie, but she has been told about her Pappy, and she talks about him often. Rick is described as a loving, caring, and selfless family man who enjoyed fishing, especially with his grandsons. Rick shared his love for the fire service with his family as he served as a firefighter, fire inspector, fire chief, and paramedic. Rick served as captain of Bridgeport Fire Department for 20 years and was a member of Salem Fire Department for 42 years, where he served as fire chief for 39 years. Rick was genuinely driven to make his community better.

Rick was born on May 9, 1962, in Clarksburg, West Virginia, the third of six children born to Roy “John” and Shirley Todd. Rick grew up in Lumberport, West Virginia, where he graduated from Lincoln High School in 1980. After graduating, he began volunteering as a firefighter with the Salem Fire Department while working with his father at a family-owned Exxon Station in Salem, West Virginia. Rick later attended and graduated from Fairmont State College and continued his career path in the fire service. Rick was hired as a career firefighter with the Bridgeport Fire Department while continuing to remain loyal to the Salem community. Rick had an incredible love for serving in the fire service and his community. Rick strived to continue to advance both the fire department and firefighters under his leadership, with continued education and training to grow the fire department and the community collaboratively.

Through countless experiences, Rick saw the crucial need to establish ambulance services to the Salem community for the preservation of life, and he began working on that with state and local officials. Through his tireless efforts, medical services were restored to the Salem area of Harrison County in 1993.

Rick is remembered as a strong leader who was an asset to his community and deeply loved by his family. He continually served and put others’ needs before his own.

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. John 15:12-13