Travis Turbyfill was born on March 25, 1986, and grew up in beautiful Prescott, Arizona. As a child he lived in Groom Creek, where his love for the outdoors began. He lived next door to his grandparents and spoke of hunting and fishing with his grandpa on a daily basis from the time he was three years old. Travis was an only child, but began developing friendships at a young age that would last a lifetime.

He graduated from Prescott High School in 2004 and fulfilled a lifelong dream when he began his career as a wildland firefighter in 2005. Travis served in the United States Marine Corps from 2007 to 2010. He then resumed his career as a firefighter in 2011 with the Granite Mountain Hot Shots, a crew of men who were not just coworkers but friends and brothers.

Travis’ first date with Stephanie was July 22, 2007. He told her just days before he died that he fell in love with her on that night. They were married on August 1, 2009, with their best friends and family surrounding them on the red rocks of Sedona, Arizona. “He was the love of my life, my best friend, and my soul mate,” she says. “We loved spending time together, talking, and making each other laugh. We shared a tremendous pride for our two little girls, Brooklyn Elizabeth (2), and Brynley Elizabeth (1). I loved our life together.”

Travis was a hands-on dad. He changed diapers, painted toenails, and played with the girls non-stop. He had a heart of gold and wore it on his sleeve. “Not a day went by that we didn’t know how much he loved us, cared for us, and appreciated us,” says Stephanie. “He thought he was the luckiest man in the world, but I know we were the lucky ones.”

He was a strong man, a natural leader and a great firefighter. He loved what he did and did it well.