HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — Chief Jimmy Williams served Houston County through 36 years of fires, storms, tragedies and dangerous times.
Now, the county says goodbye.
Williams passed away early Tuesday morning after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
He began his journey with the fire department back in 1982 as a volunteer.
"If you're coming in without resources you're putting a burden on others," said Williams to 13WMAZ several years ago.
"If we're not in shape, the number one killer for firefighters is heart attacks," said Williams in another interview.
But on Tuesday morning, it wasn't a heart attack, but cancer that took his life.
"I honestly don't even know how to put it into words yet," said Assistant Fire Chief Christopher Stoner.
Stoner says Williams was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer about five months ago.
"He fought amazingly hard," Stoner said.
During his career in public safety, Williams served on a list of boards and associations too long to count.
"I can't even count the number of people that he's affected and touched and changed their lives for the better just by knowing him," Stoner said.
One of those people is Warner Robins Mayor and former city fireman, Randy Toms.
"The fire service creates a family like none other... when a firefighter dies anywhere, firefighters feel it," Toms said.
But Toms says this time, it feels even worse, having spent the last 15 years working with Williams in the Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs.
"He was always encouraging me to do the right thing and preach the message God had put on my heart to a group of firemen... it was just a high honor to be around him," Toms said.
Outside of work, Williams still found other ways to serve the community through Second Baptist Church.
"He was very comfortable serving behind the scenes, doing the hard work, making hard decisions, working late hours and letting other people get the credit or the glory," said Pastor for Second Baptist, Jim Perdue.
"In the 15 years that I've known him, he's taught me more than I can ever imagine or even thank him for," said Stoner.
"He was one of a kind," said Perdue.
"I just want to say 'thanks chief' for everything that you did for us here," said Toms.
Williams was 54 and leaves behind a wife and two sons.
He passed one month after Warner Robins Councilman Mike Davis, who was a former firefighter and also died of pancreatic cancer.
Visitation for Williams begins at 5 p.m. on Thursday at the McCullough Funeral Home on South Houston Lake Road, and runs until 8 p.m.
Visitation continues at 10 a.m. Friday at Second Baptist Church until 2 p.m.
His funeral at Second Baptist Church on Moody Road begins at 2 p.m. Friday, and he'll be buried in Magnolia Park Cemetery following the funeral.