Jamie VanVleet

Volunteer firefighter Age: 59

Jamie VanVleet, 59, was a loving husband and father, dedicated volunteer firefighter with the Lander, Wyoming, Rural Fire Department and a man who “loved a good joke,” according to his daughter, Kendra Killinger.

“He would lend a helping hand to anyone in need and could have a half-hour conversation with a stranger,” Killinger told

USA TODAY.

His firefighting duties sometimes meant missing birthdays and holidays or spending weeks away from his family. But as a dedicated family man, he took immense pride in his four children and “loved being a papa” to his grandchildren, Killinger said.

Fighting COVID-19 in a rural area made treatment for the virus challenging for VanVleet with stints in and out of the ER and ICU. He died Sept. 4, 2021, at a hospital in Idaho Falls, his family said.