Hancock County community members host parade in honor of late firefighter

PEARLINGTON, Miss. (WLOX) - Hancock County community members are remembering a man who not only saved lives, but impacted those who crossed his path.

Richard Atwood, better known as Elvis, served as a firefighter for the West Hancock Fire Department.

“It’s like losing a family member,” said Fire Chief Deedra Burton. “It’s like losing a family member because no matter where you come from, whether Mississippi or Louisiana, we are all family. Once you cross that bridge of becoming in the EMS service, it’s just a tight knit family.”

Saturday, community members gathered in Pearlington to honor the late firefighter with a parade and ceremony. Elvis passed away last year in December after battling cancer for several years.

Those who knew Elvis say he was very charismatic -- once you met him, you couldn’t forget him.

“He was an honorable man, a humble man. Elvis was the go man, so if I needed something done, that’s the person I would go to to get it done,” Friend Zeke Hall said.

The nickname Elvis comes from his long history imitating Elvis Presley -- a memory his brother, Donnie Atwood, will always hold dear to his heart.

“He fell in love with Elvis. I remember he was doing it when he was in Florida and dressed up like Elvis. I always picked on him, but he was my brother, “Atwood said.

The parade made its way to the fire station where friends and family listened to a firefighter’s prayer and bells rang honoring Elvis’s love for his career and community.

“‘Where’s my radio? Where’s my radio?’ was his biggest thing. So, we love him. We’re going to miss him. He’s going to be greatly missed,” Burton said.

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