It seems as if a photo of former Jeffersonville Fire Deputy Chief Bruce DeArk should be next to the word “determined” in the dictionary.
Loved ones say he worked hard to join the fire department, loved his family fervently and pushed to protect others from cancer during the fight of his life.
DeArk’s death from colon cancer is officially classified as a line of duty death at the state and federal level by the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation.
The cancer awareness advocate, father, husband, firefighter and all-around good friend died in February at 53, after a four-year battle with Stage Four colon cancer. The illness was likely attributed to his career as a firefighter.