Trevor Brown, 45, of Ashburn, Virginia, lost his life as a Sterling Volunteer Fire Company volunteer firefighter on Friday, February 16, 2024. Born on July 26, 1978, on a U.S. Army base in Landstuhl, Germany, Trevor grew up in Pennsylvania and Florida where he was active in sports and surfing. He studied at the American University in Cairo, Egypt, and moved to northern Virginia with his wife in 2006. Trevor was dedicated to the community and to serving others, which was shown through his devotion as a husband, father, son, brother, uncle, firefighter, and volunteer soccer and baseball coach. Trevor leaves behind his wife and three small children to carry on his legacy, as well as his sister, niece, parents, and other family and friends. Trevor inspired young hearts and left a lasting impact on everyone he met. He coached as he lived his life – with a passion to serve others – always stepping up to help with a smile on his face.

Trevor had a passion for learning, teaching, and following a stoic lifestyle. As a stay-at-home dad, Trevor had an immense bond with his children and was often found playing games with them or singing silly songs to lighten the mode. Trevor had a unique way of looking at life. He was a faithful believer that bare feet are happy feet and was barefoot as often as possible, except at the firehouse. Trevor lived his life based off several stoic philosophies, including core beliefs that “it doesn’t matter what bad event occurs, there will always be good. With the worst of suffering, comes the best of love…I become stronger with each hardship I face…I learn and grow from all events, good ones and bad ones; my mission in life is to constantly learn, apply, and teach the qualities necessary to become the best person and leader I can, while at the same time improving the lives of everyone that I encounter.”

Trevor had a passion for community service and thoroughly enjoyed giving back to his community. In his entry-level training class as a volunteer firefighter, Trevor wrote, “I’ve always wanted to be involved with emergency services to be able to challenge myself and learn new things. I see volunteering as a good way to give back to my community and help others. I know that I am mentally and physically capable to do this job and I hope to have a positive impact on at least one person’s life.” Trevor’s motto in life was often, “If not me, then who?”—words his wife and children are committed to living by in his honor.