Covington firefighter Dale Brown had one motto, and he quoted it often: “Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day.”
Lt. Dale Allen Brown, a retired Covington firefighter who served for 25 years and a member of a well-known fire-fighting family, died last Friday. (Photo courtesy of Katie Woodring.)
It was a motto he remembered through every turn in his 25-year career protecting the Covington community with the fire department, one of a half-dozen members of his family to serve in public safety in the City.
“That’s just the way he lived his life,” Fire Chief Mark Pierce said. “Anything you asked him to do, even if it wasn’t pleasant, Dale found the good in it. He found little blessings in helping people.”
Lt. Dale Allen Brown – described by many as a dedicated public servant, husband, brother, and friend – died at home Friday after an extensive battle with melanoma related to his service. He was 55.
The City of Covington will honor Brown’s passing as a modified line-of-duty death due to the nature of his illness. Since Mayor Joe Meyer will be out of town, City Manager David Johnston will speak on behalf of the City at the funeral service Thursday, where he will be joined by fire officials and City leaders.
The City Commission will later honor Brown and his service with a resolution.
Brown is survived by his wife of 30 years, Jenny; his mother Roberta “Evone”; his siblings Rick, Ronnie, Peggy, and Janet; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Service to the community runs in the Brown family, and Dale Brown joined Covington FD in 1986 after volunteering with the Taylor Mill Fire Department.
Brown served alongside his father Don Brown, who retired as Covington Fire Chief in 1991 and died in 2017. He also served with his brother Rick, who retired as a lieutenant; his brother Ronnie, who retired as an engineer; and his sister Janet, who worked as an emergency dispatcher in Covington. His brother-in-law, Chuck Norris, also served as Covington Fire Chief between 2011 and 2012.
Chief Pierce said Brown found his calling as a member of the rescue team, the special outfit of Covington firefighters who assist in perilous situations.
“He was a mentor and a teacher to the younger guys,” said Pierce, who knew Brown for over 20 years. “He loved what he did, and he was always willing to help.”
Before he retired from Covington in 2011, Brown also worked on the Greater Cincinnati Hazardous Materials Unit and the Northern Kentucky Technical Rescue Team. He was a Kentucky State Fire Instructor, and he helped secure valuable grants for the Covington Fire Department.
Services
A visitation will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Latonia followed by a funeral service at 1 p.m. at Floral Hills Memorial Gardens.
Memorial contributions can be made to Covington Firefighters Auxiliary, P.O. Box 122426, Covington, KY 41011; or Firefighters Extinguishing Cancer, P.O. Box 332, Burlington, KY 41005.
City of Covington
