To his last day on the force, Clarksdale Fire Department Capt. Willie Ratliff could still fight fire with the young guys.
That's what his fellow firefighters said about him. It's what the community of Clarksdale knew about him.
The 35-year veteran of the Clarksdale Fire Department was two shifts away from retirement Monday night when his shift mates found him, dead of an apparent heart attack at the station.
"We had a retirement party for him last week, and he was looking forward to going fishing and enjoying his life," said Fire Chief Obert Douglas.
Ratliff had worked for the city for more than four decades, Douglas said, including some time at the city Police and the Public Works departments before joining the Fire Department.
He'd never slacked up either.
"Willie was never sick, and nobody remembers him ever missing a single shift. He was a role-model firefighter," Douglas said. "He was 66 years old, and he fought fire last week like he did 25 years ago."
Clarksdale Mayor Bill Luckett said the city will miss Ratliff's familiar smile and constant presence.