A Fayetteville firefighter’s death from cancer could be considered as a death in the line of duty.
Fayetteville Fire Battalion Chief John Bowen died in April 2022 following a battle with colon and small intestine cancer.
The 35-year-old battalion chief had been a firefighter since he was 16-years-old. Bowen started as a volunteer while growing up in Linden.
His sister Holly Bowen-Reardon said her brother was an inspiration and encouraging to everyone he met up until the end.
“When he began telling people goodbye, he was only worried about them. He would say ‘don’t worry about me. I’m great. I’m going to be OK,’” Reardon said.
“When he was first diagnosed with cancer he continued to work and had an optimistic and very positive attitude,” Assistant Chief Adam Ferguson, with Fayetteville Fire Department said.