“It was a life well lived,” said Pleasanton Police Department Sergeant Brian Laurence of his father, former Deputy Fire Chief Dennis Laurence, who passed away Feb. 4 at the age of 63. Dennis served as a firefighter for almost 40 years, starting out at the California Division of Forestry where he worked for 10 years before moving in 1970 to what was then the Pleasanton Fire Department. During his time with the department, he was integral in the consolidation of the Livermore and Pleasanton fire departments.
Although he was not a smoker, Dennis passed away after a battle with lung cancer, probably caused, his son said, by his many exposures to toxin-filled smoke. In honor of Dennis, LPFD firefighters wore shrouds over their badges–a strip of black tape–until after his funeral service. The tape is a tradition in fire and police departments to honor members past and present who die.
“I was very impressed and grateful for that,” Brian said. “I’m convinced that it was through his job that he developed lung cancer, and it was great of them to recognize that. They really paid him a lot of respect by (taping their badges). The fire department was extremely supportive through the whole thing. It really is a brotherhood.”
Services were held Friday, Feb. 10 at St. Isidore Church in Danville. Many current and retired members of the fire department attended, as well as 20 members of the police department. The hearse was escorted to the cemetery by fire engines from the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department, the California Department of Forestry (CDF) and six motorcycle officers from the Pleasanton Police Department.
Dennis is survived by his wife of 42 years, Maureen Laurence of Pleasanton, son David Laurence of Tulsa, Okla., and twins Brian of Pleasanton and Suzanne Gerlach of Bainbridge Island, Wash. He also leaves sister Judith Zahn of San Jose, six grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Family was very important to Dennis, Brian said, adding that some of his fondest memories of his father were spending Christmas in the firehouse.
“All the firefighters’ families were there because they couldn’t take the holiday off,” he said. “One of the guys would dress as Santa Claus. As kids, we thought Santa was there because our dads were there.”
It was because of Dennis’ dedication to family that he moved from the CDF to the Pleasanton Fire Department. As a firefighter with the Division of Forestry, he was required to travel a lot, but he wanted to spend more time with his family. He decided to take the position in Pleasanton, even though it meant he would no longer hold the rank of captain. In his new job, he would rise to the rank of Deputy Fire Chief, serving with former Fire Chief Stewart Gary before retiring in 1999.
Working with CDF had proven to be exceptionally dangerous, Dennis shared with his family. He’d had a close call in 1970, shortly before moving to Pleasanton, while working in Monterey County. A wall of flames shifted direction when the wind pattern changed. Dennis was directly in its path, with nowhere to run. He dove under his fire truck and burrowed down into the dirt. He would later tell his family it was a miracle that he escaped unscathed. The fire truck was destroyed.
“He figured his time after that was a gift from God,” Brian said. “He looked at that as a second chance.”
Dennis’ work in the fire department was an inspiration to Brian and affected his decision to go into policing.
“I became interested in public safety from seeing the rewarding career he had and the impact he had on people’s lives,” Brian said. “These guys really do put their lives on the line every day. They are very dedicated to the career they chose.”
