Memorial for Whatcom firefighter who died in line of duty scheduled for next week
A memorial for the Whatcom County firefighter who died in the line of duty last week will be held in Bellingham Wednesday, April 20.
Whatcom County Fire District 7 Assistant Chief Dean Crosswhite died April 6 after battling kidney cancer, according to a Bellingham Fire Department news release last week.
His memorial will be held at 1 p.m. April 20 at Cornwall Church, 4518 Northwest Drive, according to a news release Wednesday, April 13.
A reception will follow the memorial, according to the release, and information about the fire service processional will soon be released.
Donations to support Crosswhite’s family can be directed to People’s Bank with reference to the “Whatcom Seven Firefighters Benevolence Fund,” according to Wednesday’s release.
Crosswhite, who had worked with District 7 since 1995, is the second line of duty death in District 7’s 105-year history, according to the release. The other line of duty firefighter death was in March 1950, when Whatcom County Fire District 7’s Chief Clyde Eaton suffered fatal burns as a barrel of fuel exploded at a fire, The Bellingham Herald previously reported.
Crosswhite’s death is at least the third line of duty death for a firefighter in Whatcom County.
State law classifies certain kinds of cancer as job-related. The death of North Whatcom Fire and Rescue Firefighter John Swobody, who died in 2018 after a years-long battle with lung cancer, was also classified as line of duty.
Crosswhite began his career in fire fighting as a resident firefighter at Washington State University and later worked for Kitsap County Fire District 7. He also volunteered with the Blaine Fire Department before he was hired with Whatcom County Fire District 7, the release states.
During his time with District 7, Crosswhite worked as a firefighter, lieutenant, division chief of training and assistant chief.
Crosswhite is survived by his wife, Luciana, son Spencer, stepdaughters Kylie and Brianna and stepsons Nick and Anthony. He is also survived by his parents, Henry Dean and Carol Crosswhite and his siblings, Amy Lewis, Joanne Burke, Bernice Maxfield, and Tom, David and Stanley Crosswhite, the release states.
This story was originally published April 13, 2022 at 12:33 PM.
