Delaware firefighter who died while responding to accident honored in Sussex
Thomas “Tommy” Berry III died Tuesday afternoon when he stopped to help a motorist on Route 9.
Public service was in Thomas Berry III’s blood.
A fourth-generation firefighter who grew up at the Ellendale Fire Department, he spent his days “counting down the years and months he had left until he could join and become a firefighter,” the Ellendale Volunteer Fire Department said Thursday.
Berry finally joined at age 15.
Although he was still a junior member at the time, Berry proudly carried on his family’s tradition of service. Having his name added to the department’s roster meant the world to him, local first responders said.
But Berry, 23, will not get the chance to pass on his family’s decades-long commitment to another generation. He was killed Tuesday afternoon while helping a motorist on Route 9, about 2 miles east of Georgetown.
BACKGROUND: He had stopped to help a driver who had broken down. Then this firefighter from Sussex died
While the state mourns his death, Berry will be remembered as an outstanding first responder with a “mischievous smile” who managed to make friends wherever he went.
What happened?
According to Delaware State Police, Berry was driving on Route 9 when he noticed a 37-year-old Maryland man crashing his Chevrolet Malibu into a utility pole shortly before 4:25 p.m. The man had collided sideways with another car he was attempting to pass.
Berry, who volunteered with the Georgetown Fire Department in addition to the Ellendale Fire Department, stopped to help the driver, just as the utility pole collapsed, bringing down the power lines.
Berry was killed at the scene, police said.
Community rallies
As news of the young man’s death spread, friends and first responders expressed their condolences on social media.
Some remembered his smile. Others remembered him as a hard worker. One teacher wrote that she wasn’t supposed to have favorites, but Berry was certainly one.
The Ellendale Volunteer Fire Department remembered him as a “top volunteer” who was “there day and night to help his neighbors in need.”
“When severe weather conditions during hurricanes or snowstorms required the fire station to be manned, you could be sure that Thomas would be on site for the duration of the call and would sleep in the fire station for several days,” said a social media post.
The fire department added that Berry was “among the most active firefighters” in terms of training and later teaching. He took on the unofficial role of mentor to younger members of the fire department because he was “willing to share his knowledge with others.”
But even with these roles, Berry was not satisfied. He knew he could do more.
For this reason, he was hired by Sussex County EMS in 2022 to work in the logistics department.
He became increasingly interested in the work of the county’s emergency operations center, Ellendale’s post said, and most recently attended classes for the Sussex paramedic course.
It is this dedication to service that has drawn outpourings of sympathy across the state.
“While we are all heartbroken and grieving at this time, we know that Thomas’ legacy will live on forever in Ellendale through the foundation he laid with younger members and the lives of residents and visitors to our community he touched,” the fire department wrote.
When will the funeral for Thomas Berry take place?
Services for Berry will be held Thursday, August 22, at Crossroad Community Church in Georgetown. The wake will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by worship.
Governor John Carney said Thursday that flags across the state would be flown at half-staff on the day of Berry’s funeral.
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