Franklin firefighter's remains returned home to candlelight vigil

[Guest Nicole]

FRANKLIN, TN (WSMV) -

The remains of Franklin firefighter Dimitris “JD” Fotopoulos were returned to Fire Station 8 late Tuesday night during a candlelight vigil.

About 100 residents lined the road in front of the station to show their respects.

Fotopoulos, 40, died in a motorbike crash while on a church mission trip in Honduras over Labor Day weekend.

Franklin Fire Chief Rocky Garzarek, Deputy Chief Glenn Johnson and Fotopoulos’ brother Jonathan traveled to Honduras on Monday to retrieve his remains. Before returning to Franklin, they attended a memorial ceremony held at a Honduras fire department.

Franklin Fire Ladder 8, along with other Franklin fire and police escorts, was waiting at the airport to carry Fotopoulos’ remains home.

Fire officials said firefighters and emergency personnel from a number of Middle Tennessee departments lined overpasses on I-65 to pay tribute as the escort passed.

Fotopoulos joined the Franklin Fire Department in 2007. He was transferred to Station 8 last month as part of the first crew to staff the new station in Westhaven.

He previously worked as a firefighter in Michigan. He never married and did not have children.

Two public memorial services are planned for Fotopoulos. The first will be held Friday at 2 p.m. at Jamison Hall at The Factory at Franklin. The second will be held that same day at 7 p.m. at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses on Highway 70 West in Dickson.

A GoFundMe page has been established to help Fotopoulos’ family with expenses. For more information, click here.

Officials in Franklin shared a video of the vigil:

 

http://www.wbrc.com/story/33096946/franklin-firefighters-remains-returned-home-to-candlelight-vigil