Hundreds gathered in the Tyler Jelly building at the Tehama County Fairground Thursday to celebrate the life of former Red Bluff Fire Chief Gerry Gray.
Gray, who served with the Redding Fire Department since 2008, most recently as chief, died in his sleep July 2 at the age of 54.
At the front of the building, a slideshow projected pictures of Gray from childhood to adulthood. People filled the room, talking to one another and hugging.
The reception at the fairgrounds began shortly after a memorial service held at High Point Assembly of God on Luther Road. Earlier in the day, about 50 fire engines and emergency vehicles with their lights flickering off into the distance drove through Redding and by 11 a.m. were making their way through downtown Red Bluff. At the State Theatre, the marquee read “R.I.P. Fire Chief Gerry Gray Never Forgotten.”
Outside the memorial service at the church, a massive flag was hoisted by the ladders of two fire engines, one from Red Bluff and one from Redding.