BUFFALO, N.Y. — Jason Arno was remembered Friday morning as a man who loved his family, loved to cook, and loved this community.
"He was risky, loving, mischievous, compassionate, altruistic, belligerent, thoughtful, kind. The heart of the family, the glue between crowds, the life of the room, the center of gravity," said Delton Arno, Jason Arno's brother.
In his 37 years, firefighter Jason Arno made quite the impact. With only about a year separating them, he and his older brother Delton shared a close bond.
"We were arm and arm staring across the ocean on our backs under the stars marching to the beat of our own drums. His mood depended entirely on yours, so your happiness came first. My mood depended entirely on his, so I always came with problems I knew he could solve," Delton said.
Becoming a Buffalo firefighter just three years ago, Arno quickly made an impression on his colleagues.
"He often used his culinary skills to fix his fellow firefighters gourmet meals in the firehouse. Sarah, your husband's life and legacy will never fade from our memory," Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said.
Added Vincent Ventresca, IAFF Local 282 President: "He was eager to be a good firefighter and jump in and be part of the team. Everywhere he worked, Jay was a valued crew member. Jay loved to cook, and he was awesome at it which works out well because firefighters love to eat. There's truly something special about us sharing a well-cooked meal with your crew at the fire house. Jay did the little things at the firehouse which endeared him to his crewmates. He was almost too nice to be a firefighter."
Delton added: "I couldn't be more proud. And after my tears are spent and my own memory languishes, I will still know what he did for us. More than anything, I am so thankful. No matter when or how soon he went, I would have always been thankful."
They said he would just show up to the firehouse with groceries, but he would just drop them off and go out on the first call because there was no way he would let his crew go out the door without him.