CONOVER, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Conover will honor the life of a firefighter by closing city streets for a funeral procession Thursday afternoon.

Taylorsville resident Ricky Dale Allen died on Saturday after a battle with cancer. According to his obituary, the man started as a junior firefighter at 17 and served his community for 19 years. He also worked with the Taylorsville Fire Department.

Allen also worked at the Public Works Department for several years before finding his calling as a firefighter.

In a Facebook post, city officials said “there was no doubt that Ricky’s calling was to be a firefighter, and a firefighter he was. For those who had the privilege of knowing Ricky, know that he wholeheartedly dedicated himself to his career, his faith, and his family.”

The procession route starts after a 3 p.m. Mount Olive Lutheran Church service. The route passes by Conover Fire Station 1 before ending at Allen’s final resting place, the Conover City Cemetery. 

In a Conover Fire Department Twitter post, the public’s “presence along the route can be an impactful way to express gratitude for Ricky’s years of service to the community.”

The visitation for Allen was on Wednesday at Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Newton.