On Saturday and the same day that the state’s fallen firefighters were honored in a ceremony at Nash Square in downtown Raleigh, another member of the North Carolina fire service died in the line of duty.
Kenly Firefighter John M. Davis Jr., 45, suffered a heart attack while working at the scene of an overturned vehicle and subsequent extrication on Princeton Kenly Road. He experienced chest pains and was transported to the hospital, where he later died.
Here’s a FireNews story about his passing, and information on the arrangements. The funeral will be Thursday, May 12, at 11:00 a.m. at Kenly Funeral and Cremations, 103 E. 2nd Street. Burial will follow at Center Ridge Presbyterian Church, 2712 Glendale Road.
Davis is the eighth line-of-duty death in Johnston County’s history, and the first for the Kenly Fire Department in its 75+ year history. And all of the deaths have been cardiac or illness related.
Left to right: Crocker, Barbour, Lee, Daniels, and Davis.
Missing images for Narron, Lee, and Ellington.
Below are details on Johnston County’s line-of-duty deaths, from my fallen firefighter database.
| Name | Age | Rank | Death | Department | Narrative |
| McDaniel Narron | 56 | 8/3/76 | Antioch | Died of a heart attack while operating the pump at a fire at his residence on RFD #1 in Middlesex. | |
| James H. Lee | 67 | 6/25/91 | Wilson’s Mills | Died of a rare heart condition several days after participating in water shuttle operations at a large tire fire in Princeton. | |
| George E. Crocker | 32 | Chief | 6/22/08 | Pine Level | Died of a heart attack at home, after responding to a fire and three EMS incidents. He was found deceased the next morning. |
| Jonathan “Johnny” L. Littleton | 40 | Captain | 8/19/10 | Pine Level | Died at home the day after participating in training. |
| Richard “Ricky” L. Barbour | 55 | Chief | 2/4/11 | Wilson’s Mills | Died of a heart attack, after complaining of chest pains the day after responding to a woods fire. |
| Thomas G. Lee | 67 | Firefighter | 2/1/14 | Four Oaks | Died at his home after an apparent heart attack within 24 hours of responding to the station for a motor-vehicle accident call. |
| Christopher J. Daniels | 40 | Lieutenant | 8/17/15 | Pine Level | Found unresponsive at the fire station about ninety minutes after the start of shift, and following his normal routine of running for thirty minutes. |
| John M. Davis Jr. | 45 | Firefighter | 4/7/16 | Kenly | Died at the hospital after suffering a heart attack at the scene of a motor-vehicle accident and extrication on Princeton Kenly Road. |