600 Pay Tribute to Fire Captain, 27, Felled by Apparent Heart Attack
About 600 firefighters, friends and family members attended the funeral of Ventura County Fire Capt. Wayne Pulley on Saturday.
Pulley, an Ojai resident, died of an apparent heart attack Wednesday while on duty, one day before his 28th birthday.
The funeral procession from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ojai to Ivy Lawn Cemetery in Ventura included fire engines, police cars and motorcycles as fire and police agencies from throughout Southern California paid tribute to one of Ventura County’s youngest fire captains.
Bill Barrett, the youth pastor at Ojai Valley Community Church and a friend of Pulley’s, delivered a eulogy at the grave site, reading from the 23rd Psalm.
An honor guard stood at attention as taps was played and county helicopters flew overhead in the overcast sky. Three tones, familiar to firefighters as the signal that a fire is out and a job is completed, were sounded for Pulley.
Pulley is survived by his wife, Melani, and 6-month-old daughter, Kelsey.
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