Gladewater’s Fire Chief Dies

GLADEWATER – Funeral services are scheduled for Gladewater Fire Chief Michael Kirkwood, 42. He died from health complications he had. According to the fire department’s Facebook page, visitation will be on Tuesday from 6:00 to 8:00pm at the Bates Cooper Sloan Funeral Home in Mt. Pleasant. Funeral services will Wednesday afternoon at 2:00 at First Baptist Church in Mt Pleasant, followed by burial at Cemetery on Harts Bluff Road. The Longview News Journal quotes Gladewater Mayor Harold Wells as saying that Kirkwood came to Gladewater as a police officer and as a certified firefighter. Wells said he took on the fire chief role several years ago.

According to the funeral home’s obituary, Kirkwood previously worked for the Mount Pleasant Sheriff’s department, Mount Pleasant Police Department, served as a part time and volunteer of the Mount Pleasant Fire Department for 23 years and he worked for the Princeton Police Department.