Hundreds of Fort Worth firefighters gather to honor Todd Brook at his funeral
The Fort Worth Fire Department paid its final respects Wednesday to firefighter Todd Brook, who served the department for three decades. He died earlier this month after a battle with cancer.
A procession made its way into Doxology Bible Church, where firefighters in mourning waited for its arrival. Among them was engineer Ron Augustus, who worked with Brook for more than 10 years.
"We're celebrating the life of my friend Todd Brook. He's a great guy and a 30‑year fireman. We worked together in Station 12 and Station 21," Augustus said.
Augustus and Brook shared a close friendship both at the station and in their personal lives.
"You always feel safe around him," Augustus said.
He remembered Brook's sense of humor and kindness. Brook's diagnosis of stage‑four pancreatic cancer in October 2025 devastated him.
"Today just doesn't seem real," Augustus said.
Firefighters join in tearful goodbye
Hundreds of Fort Worth firefighters joined Augustus in saying a tearful goodbye to their colleague and friend.
"Today was one of those days that when you wake up, it really reminds you how precious life is," he said.
Family and friends said they will remember Brook's spirit through photos of good times together — a spirit they say will live on through his family and fellow firefighters.
"I learned a lot from the man both on and off the job, through his leadership and by example, his character," Fort Worth firefighter Michael Newkirk said.
Brook's love of wife fondly remembered
CBS News Texas interviewed Brook one week before his death and asked how his fight was going. His response focused not on himself but on his wife, who needs a kidney donor – a reflection, friends say, of his selfless nature.
"Now I'm fighting for Ms. Jeno to get a kidney," Brook said in the interview.
"I'll remember him forever and continue to just live my life in a different way just because of meeting him," Augustus said.
Brook's impact is felt across the department. His memory, colleagues said, will carry on in the hearts of those who knew him as they offer their final salute.
CBS News Texas first met the couple during an I‑Team story about workers' compensation claims. Brook said genetic testing showed no predisposition for cancer and believed decades of exposure to carcinogens as a firefighter caused the disease.
