Firefighters honor fallen brother: 'A true Richmond treasure'

The 31-year Richmond Fire veteran died last week at the age of 55 after he suffered a medical emergency ahead of planned surgery.

TODAY -- FRIENDS, FAMILY,AND COLLEAGUES ARE LAYING ARICHMOND FIREFIGHTER TO REST.FIRE BATTALIONCHIEF ROBERT DUFFUS DIED WHILEOFF-DUTY LAST WEEK.OUR CAMERON THOMPSON SHARESSOME OF THOSE MMEORIES...AND HOW HE'S HELPING OTHERS,EVEN AFTER HIS PASSING.BOBBY WAS A TRUE RICHMONDTREASURE.THROUGH TEARS, SMILES, ANDSTORIES -- HE HAD GRACE AND HEHADEVERYTHING, I MEAN, HE WAS JUSTA STUD.FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND COWORKERS--CAME TOGEETHR TUESDAY TOCELEBRATE THE LIFE OF RICHMONDFEIR BATTALION CHIEF ROBERT"BOBBY" DUFFUS.BOBBY, DEFINITELYCELEBRATED LIFE.THE 31-YEARR FD VETERAN PASSEDAWAY LAST WEEK AT THE AGE OF 55--SUFFERING A MEDICAL EMERGENCYAHEAD OF A PLANNEDSURGERY.BUT -- EVEN AS IN LIFE -- HE WASABLETO SAVE OTHERS IN DEATH AS ANORGAN DONOR -- WITH DUFFUSGETTING A FINAL SALUTE IN THEHOSPITAL ON WAY TO THE OPERATINGROOM.HE SAVED THREE LIVES WITH HISLIVER AND TWO KIDYNES.AMONG THOSE SHARINGMEMORIES -- WAS A LONGTIMEFRIEND-- WHO SAYS DUFFUS -- WAS THETYPE OF PERSON TO ASK HOWOTHERS ARE DOING.THAT WAS HIM.WANTED TO KNOWABOUT YOU, WANTED TO KNOW WHATYOU WERE DOING.WHILE HIS FELLOW FIREFIGHTERS --INCLUDING CHIEFMELVIN CARTER -- WHO SAYS DUFFUSWHOLEHEARTEDLY EMBODIED THESPIRT OF THE DEPARTMENT.BOBBY WAS A LEADER'S LEADER.THAT MEANS HE THE LED FROM THEFRONT.HE DIDN'T SHYAW AY FROMCONTROVERSY OR CONFLICT AND WASTRUE TO HIS ROLE AS A CHIEFOFFICERIN OUR DEPARTMENT.CARTER ADDING THAT WHILEDUFFUS WAS A GOOD FIREFIGHTER --HE WAS -- MORE IMPORTANTLY -- AGOOD MAN.DUFFUS LEAVES BEHIND MANY --INCLUDING A WIFE, DAUGHTER, ANDSTEP-SON -- THE SERVICE ENDEDWITH APRESENTATNIO OF FOLDED AMERICANFLAGS TO HIS FAMILY -- WHOWERE THEN GREETED OUTSIDE BYA"SEA OF BLUE" -- MADE UP OF HISFELLOW FIREFIGHTERS.WE LOVE YOU, WE MISS YOU.BROTHER, WELL DONE AND RESTEASY.AS MENTIONED, BATTALION CHIEFDUFFUS WAS AN ORGAN DONOR ANDTHE FAMILY SAYS IN LIEU OFFLOWERSFOR PEOPLE TO MAKE CONTRIBUTIONSTO DONATE LIFEAMERICA.A LINK CAN BE FOUND ONOUR WEBSITE, W- T-V-R-DOT-COM.WORKING FOR YOU, CAMERONTHOMPSON, CBS 6 NEWS.