Yesterday, the Queen Creek Fire and Medical Department honored and remembered the loss of 24-year veteran fire Capt. Eric Tinkham, who at age 44 passed away in his sleep while on duty Aug. 1, 2009 at Queen Creek Fire Station 2. He is survived by his wife and three daughters.
Tinkham was one of Queen Creek's inaugural firefighters who started the town's fire department on Jan. 1, 2008. Prior to joining Queen Creek, he served with Rural/Metro Fire Department in east Maricopa and Pinal counties.
"As a firefighter, Eric Tinkham was fearless and driven. If he arrived at a working fire he was going to put it out, even if he was alone, which was sometimes the case in his early days working along the Apache Trail or in rural parts of the East Valley. He had no quit in him. If it was something that others couldn't do, he would roll up his sleeves and demonstrate that difficult tasks, especially at the emergency scene, simply required a little more common sense and a lot more effort," members of Queen Creek Firefighters Association IAFF Local 2260 posted yesterday on their Facebook page in honor of Tinkham. "May we never forget and always remember with honor the dedication and sacrifice Eric Tinkham gave to the Town of Queen Creek and all he served."
