‘He truly gave his heart’: Hundreds gather to honor life of fallen JFRD engineer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Family and friends are remembering Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department Engineer Michael Freeland, arsenic they said their last goodbyes Saturday.

Freeland, 36, died successful the enactment of work Nov. 11 erstwhile he collapsed portion trying to rescue a U-Haul driver who was progressive successful a clang with a powerfulness pole.

“He was consenting to laic down his beingness for idiosyncratic else’s and that’s humbling,” JFRD Chief Keith Powers said. “Just similar Michael, determination are 1,700 different JFRD men and women that are consenting to bash the aforesaid happening to support [others] and to marque definite that they are safe. That is an grant for maine to beryllium capable to basal determination and correspond those folks.”

Freeland died astatine a infirmary aft life-saving efforts astatine the scene.

“Because of Mike Freeland, idiosyncratic else’s household is full today,” said Toni Yates, who is 1 of Freeland’s cousins. “Someone else’s household has hope. Someone else’s household is watching their loved 1 retrieve due to the fact that Mike gave his beingness to marque definite she would beryllium OK.”

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Freeland is known arsenic a antheral with a servant’s bosom and gentle spirit.

“He genuinely gave his heart,” Yates said. “He was truthful kind. You ne'er heard him fuss, reason oregon beryllium angry. He was conscionable truthful giving.”

“He ever kept a grin connected his face,” said Fabian Thompson, different of Freeland’s cousins. “He was ever happy. “He was ne'er huffy oregon anything.”

Thompson is 17 years old. He said his large relative “Mike” inspired him to go a firefighter and bash bully successful his community.

“I conscionable privation to support that bequest going on. Be a firefighter and locomotion successful his footsteps,” Thompson said.

Hundreds of radical poured into Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church connected Saturday greeting for Freeland’s funeral.

“It was a precise uplifting service. It was a solemnisation of Michael’s life, what Michael stood for and what helium did for this community,” Powers said.

The 36-year-old JFRD technologist served the assemblage for 7 year. He worked astatine Fire Station 73.

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He is the 3rd subordinate of JFRD to dice successful the enactment of work successful 2021.

Yates was 1 of galore mourners dressed successful blue, Freeland’s favourite color. She recalls countless stories of Freeland redeeming lives.

“A pastor talked astir Michael responding successful the airdrome erstwhile helium was stationed retired astatine Jacksonville International Airport,” Yates said. “[The pastor] had a bosom information [and experienced a problem]. His kids were with him. Once Michael made definite that the pastor was OK, helium went implicit and calmed the kids due to the fact that that’s what benignant of idiosyncratic helium was.”

Many accidental Freeland was a idiosyncratic with a peculiar duty connected Earth.

“He was calved to prevention lives,” Yates said.

Freeland died portion fulfilling his life’s purpose.

Freeland leaves down a large household and his fiancée.

He volition beryllium buried astatine Evergreen Cemetery connected North Main Street.

In a fewer weeks, his sanction volition beryllium added to the Firefighters Memorial astatine Station 1 connected Liberty Street.

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