City leaders and colleagues of Henderson Fire Chief Steve Cordell paid tribute to their friend and coworker, who died Sunday after a brief illness.

Cordell and his family had attended a ceremony at City Hall on Jan. 19 – on Cordell’s 51^st birthday – during which he received the Order of the Guardian award for outstanding leadership and service in the fire industry and was recognized for his 30 years of work with the city.

Funeral arrangements will be announced later by Sossamon Funeral Home.

Retired fire chief Danny Wilkerson told WIZS News Monday that he remembers well the day in May 2015 when he called then-Assistant Fire Chief Cordell to his office.

“I asked him if he was ready to become fire chief,” Wilkerson said. “You should have seen his face,” Wilkerson added, recalling Cordell’s emotional reaction to the news that he would serve as interim chief upon Wilkerson’s retirement. He later was chosen for the job and succeeded Wilkerson as chief in November 2015.

Cordell joined the fire department in 1990’s and found a career that lasted more than 30 years. He got his first taste of fire service in 1990 as a 17-year-old volunteer with Watkins Volunteer Fire Department.

Watkins Assistant Chief Brandon Link said Cordell remained active with the department and continued to contribute to the department throughout his career with the city fire department.

In a post on social media, Link remembered Cordell and gave thanks for his many years of service: “Thank you for showing me what faith is when I wanted to lose hope,” Link wrote.  “Thank you for choosing to love me when you had zero obligation to do so. Thank you for holding me to a higher standard than the rest because, while it seemed unfair, ultimately you knew best. Thank you for being there for me when even I didn’t realize I needed you.”

Henderson Mayor Eddie Ellington praised Cordell for his immeasurable passion and dedication to the community. “The knowledge, wisdom and service to his profession have profoundly impacted countless lives,” Ellington told WIZS News. “Although his life here on earth is over, his eternal flame will continue to burn in our hearts and memories.”

Among others sharing some of those memories with WIZS News was Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow, who said Monday that Cordell was a “kind soul” who would do anything for anybody. “We we poked fun at each other but always came together,” Barrow said of the friendly rivalry between public service agencies and personnel. “They were always there for us… we were always there from them,” he said.

Public safety poses challenges for those who serve, but Barrow said Cordell “never let anybody down.”

“Steve was a dedicated and a professional firefighter,” Wilkerson said, adding that he “never doubted his ability to do his job – as well as mine, when I was absent. I have many memories of our friendship and working relationship.”

Wilkerson said Cordell was always exploring ways to do better and they would talk after going out on fire calls to see how and where to make improvements. He said the city was fortunate to have kept Cordell when he easily could have gone to be chief somewhere else.

“He’s just been a huge asset and (we)just need to keep going forward and continue what he’s started,” Wilkerson added.

Vance County Emergency Management Director Brian Short called Cordell “one of the best people I ever met – a good Christian man…someone trying to make things better.”

Short recalled that any time he’d walk into Cordell’s office, the first thing he’d notice was an open Bible. His straightforward approach was just one sign of his professionalism and leadership. “He never came sideways at you about anything,” Short said. “He elevated his people… it was never about him, it was always about ‘us,’” Short stated.

As Wilkerson explained, for Cordell, it was “God, family, fire department – in that order. “I never knew him to get (his) priorities in the wrong order.”

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