Chief James Thomas Murray
Fondly known as Jim, Chief Murray was the essence of a gentleman. Soft spoken, with a twinkle in his eye, he led by example. A retired Sears executive, Jim's priorities were his family and his volunteer work. Since 1995 Jim served as a volunteer firefighter with Southside Fire/EMS in Savannah, GA, becoming Chief of their Skidaway Island Division in 2004. His service to his community was reflected in the honors he received at his funeral on October 17, 2013 when dozens of firefighters and sheriff's deputies lined the aisles of the church. He also volunteered with the Chatham County Sherriff's Department where he was a Lieutenant.
Jim touched many lives, and his legacy to the patients and families that we serve is the Fire and Ice Gala, an annual black tie event benefitting Southeastern Firefighters Burn Foundation. He loved this event he helped start in 2006, and in 2013, enjoyed presenting the Burn Foundation with a check for $46,500. Recently, the 9th Annual Fire and Ice Gala was held and the evening was dedicated to Chief Murray.Lars Ljundahl, the new Chief and Chair of this years' gala, honored Jim by assuring that the evening went off without a hitch. Volunteer leaders like Jim are the electricity that powers a charity event. They bring a positive spirit and vitality that energizes other volunteers. They cultivate new leaders to assure that events continue to thrive, with or without them. Southeastern Firefighters Burn Foundation is most grateful to this kind and caring man.
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Rena Mobley
Barely five feet tall, she was referred to as a sparkplug, the way she lit up a room with her infectious smile and brought encouragement with her bone-crushing hugs. Rena Mobley, a faithful Burn Center waiting room volunteer for nearly two decades, died January 13 after a valiant battle with cancer. She loved everyone, whether she had known you for a lifetime or had just met you in the waiting room.
Sitting on the sidelines was not acceptable to Rena, who became a full-time volunteer upon retirement from Deerfield Specialty Papers. Caring for the hurting was part of Rena's chemistry, and burn families held a special place in her heart. It was not uncommon for Rena to bake a special cake or cook a "mess of collards" for a burn family member who had been away from the comforts of home for far too long. She was often found behind the scenes at Burn Foundation events, like the Faith Partners Banquet, where she provided beautiful linens and centerpieces.
When Rena wasn't at the Burn Center she was typically serving at First Baptist Church of Augusta where she served as Deacon, Homebound Outreach Coordinator, Golf cart Ministry Administrator, Flower Ministry member, Switchboard Operator, Wedding Director, and missionary to Honduras.
In her last days, Rena was still comforting others, particularly those who knew her death was near. She wanted her family and friends not to mourn, but to celebrate life, live it to the fullest, and to serve God by serving others. There is a scripture in Hebrews that reads, "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." Could it be that Rena served more than a few angels, or perhaps, she herself was an angel among us? Rest in peace, dear Rena.
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