BALTIMORE — Rodney Pitts III took his final ride today in Baltimore City fire engine 29. His body rested in a casket placed in the back.
It would later be carried out of the cathedral by his fellow firefighters, as they prepared to bring him to his final resting place.
There were fire service professionals from all over the globe here in support of Pitts.
Engine 29 is where Rodney was stationed - for such a short period of time. He was just a rookie, pinned by Chief Wallace back in August. Last Thursday, he died battling a fire that ripped through several rowhomes in Northwest Baltimore.
"Everybody's been devastated over the events of the past week," said Matthew Coster, president of Baltimore Fire Union IAFF Local 734.
Although the city of Baltimore will remember him most for how he died - sacrificing his life to protect others - Rodney's family will remember him most for how he lived.
His passion for Baltimore sports. His love of fishing. His unwavering support for his two kids. His tendency to be late - but always show up, no matter what.
Nathan Pitts Jr. is Rodney's cousin, but he considered him more of a brother. He says watching him graduate from the fire academy this summer was inspiring.
"Rod had a lot of ups and downs. Through his journey getting through the fire academy, I remember multiple times, we would text about it, talk about it on the phone. He was tired. He was sore. At one point he felt like he had imposter syndrome, but he kept pushing through," Nathan said.
As a diehard Ravens and Orioles fan, Nathan says it's fitting that his final memory with his cousin happened at Camden Yards.
"The last time I saw my cousin actually was the ALDS on October 7," Nathan recalled.
Rodney leaves behind two kids, 8-year-old Arianna and 2-year-old Hendrix. Nathan says his cousin worked multiple jobs to be able to support his family.
"I think that's what hurts the most, knowing they gotta grow up without him, but we got his back," Nathan said.
That "we" includes a lot of people. Rodney has a large family - including five sisters and a brother.
Instead of dressing in just all black, many of his family members wore bright red - something they say he would've wanted.
"He was fun-loving, you can't find nothing bad to say about him. He was a really good kid. He will be missed, seriously," said his uncle, Michael Willis. The pair used to go fishing together almost weekly.
Over the past week, firefighters from all over the country have offered their support.
"My sense is that they [the family] were overwhelmed by the enormity of love and compassion from the fire service. To know - my son was really loved this much, wow," said Kevin Cartwright, spokesperson for the Baltimore Fire Department.
While the focus is on Rodney today, in the back of these firefighters' minds is the fact that they have to do this all over again next week. Lieutenant Dillon Rinaldo passed away on Wednesday after that same fire. He spent several days fighting for his life in the hospital.
That made the ceremony even more difficult knowing that loved ones were going to have to perform the same ceremony again for another fallen brother from that same fire.
"We were holding on to the hope that Dillon was gonna pull through and then to get the devastating news that he didn't, it just makes it even more difficult," Coster said.
“Another one of our members is not here today. However, we are preparing, we’ve already started preparing, and we’ll get through that moment just the same,” Cartwright said.
The memorial where firefighter Pitts is buried highlights many of the fallen firefighters including the ones killed last year in the Stricker Street fire, many of the people here today asked everyone to keep the fire safety professionals in your thoughts and prayers – as they prepare to do this all over again for Lt. Rinaldo who also died from ramifications of that same fire.
Funeral arrangements for Lt. Rinaldo have not yet been announced.
Fundraisers are ongoing for the families of both Pitts and Rinaldo.
