Obituaries
Con Fire Bids Farewell To Fallen Brother In Ceremony, Procession
Following a memorial service Thursday in Concord, a funeral procession was planned to Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Lafayette.
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — Officials with the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District advised of minor traffic disruptions Thursday as the department bid farewell to a fallen brother, Con Fire Capt. Roger Harless.
The fire captain and paramedic died Jan. 9 after a brief illness.
A "Sea of Blue" ceremony was held for Harless from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday, Jan. 17 at St. Bonaventure Church in Concord, and was to be followed by a funeral procession to Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Lafayette.
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The procession began at 12:30 p.m. and was expected to last about an hour, according to Steve Hill, spokesman for Con Fire.
"Con Fire firefighters will bid farewell to a fallen brother with a 'Sea of Blue' recognition and color guard at the memorial service, a fire apparatus procession to the cemetery, and a graveside ceremony support," Hill said. "Some minor traffic disruptions may briefly result along the procession route today. We apologize for any inconvenience."
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The procession route included: Clayton Road to Ygnaciao Valley Road; Concord Boulevard to Highway 242 South; Gregory Lane to Grayson Road; then Reliez Valley Road to the cemetery.
A ceremony at the cemetery was set to begin at 2 p.m. and last for about 30 minutes.
About Capt. Roger Harless
Harless was hired by Con Fire in May 1990 as a firefighter, and was promoted to fire engineer in April 1998.
He was one of the firefighters who went through the District’s in-house paramedic training, eventually being promoted to Fire Captain Paramedic in April 2003.
Harless was "a good and a respected firefighter," Con Fire Chief Jeff Carman said.
Harless was also a member in good standing with Local 1230 since June 1, 1990.
He was a devoted husband and father who loved to challenge himself mentally and physically. He enjoyed traveling with his wife, Karen, and was passionate about hockey games, especially attending them with his wife and family. He also loved watching his granddaughter play soccer.
Con Fire bids farewell this morning to veteran Fire Capt. Roger Harless with a "Sea of Blue" at St. Bonaventure Church, Concord. Memorial service will be followed by fire procession to Queen of Heaven Cemetery for burial. Capt. Harless passed away after a brief illness Jan. 9. pic.twitter.com/y5BSdJxnpL
— Confire PIO (@ContraCostaFire) January 17, 2019
Photos courtesy Con Fire
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