Joseph E. Newsome was born on March 14, 1965, and was the youngest of five children. He began his career in the fire service with the City of Petersburg, Virginia, Fire Department in 1984, where he gained a lot of firefighting experience as a firefighter and a sergeant. In 1989, Joe became a member of the Chesterfield Fire and EMS Department in Chesterfield County, Virginia. He graduated from Recruit School #19. Joe worked in many of the fire and EMS stations throughout the county and was named the department’s Firefighter of the Year in 1992. He was known for his sense of humor and his willingness to say what was on his mind. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, and later to the rank of captain. Joe was a member of the department’s technical rescue team and enjoyed being assigned to Station 3 which had an engine, truck, medic, and technical rescue unit. This station was very busy, and Joe was able to mentor many young firefighters on the wide variety of incidents that they responded to. Joe received the department’s Medal of Valor for his efforts to rescue a young woman who was trapped during rapidly rising flood waters in August 2004 during Tropical Storm Gaston. Joe later requested an assignment into the department’s emergency medical services division, serving as the deputy director of EMS. He became well-known throughout the region during his tenure, serving on numerous committees and workgroups. Joe was a dedicated husband of 18 years to Laurie. His sons, Robbie and Tommy, benefited from his guidance, wisdom, and love. Joe served as their athletic coach and a leader in their scout troop and was very proud of both of them. Joe also served as a deacon in his church and served on mission trips to Central America. He had just been named as the acting director of emergency medical services when he died in the line of duty while performing his physical training program on April 23, 2007. Laurie, Robbie, and Tommy, as well as all of the members of Chesterfield Fire and EMS, suffered a tremendous loss on that day, and Joe’s memory and legacy will live on in the organization.
Alicia Anne Monahan October 26, 1980 - June 25, 2022 Midlothian, Virginia Alicia was an experienced member of the department’s SCUBA Rescue Team and a member of the elite Virginia Helicopter Aquatics Rescue Team (VA HART), a joint initiative between the Virginia Army Air National Guard and Chesterfield County Fire & EMS. In recent years she actively prepared for greater leadership responsibilities, completing a long-term acting lieutenant assignment at the Bon Air Fire Station, and was a candidate for promotion to the rank of lieutenant. During her tenure with the department, she was honored with numerous citations and awards. In May 2013, Alicia was part of a team that safely extricated multiple victims from a crash involving three vehicles. In November 2013, she and her teammates acted quickly and decisively to remove multiple victims from a vehicle that was fully involved in fire following a head-on collision with another vehicle. Alicia participated in life saves in April 2018 and January 2020, performing advanced medical care on patients experiencing cardiac arrest. In October 2018, she and two other members of Scuba Rescue 7 rescued a victim trapped on the roof of their car in rising, swiftly moving flood waters. They each were recognized with a Bronze Valor Award for their efforts by the Retail Merchants Association. A 2004 Radford University graduate, Alicia was a licensed dog trainer who served as an operational K9 handler for the Virginia Search and Rescue Dog Association. She shared her love of the outdoors as Southeast Region Event Coordinator for SheJumps, a nonprofit that aims to increase the participation of women and girls in a variety of outdoor activities. She was an Auxiliary Instructor for the US Naval Sea Cadets Program and supported Race Across America and Race Across the West as a driver and paramedic. She worked as a whitewater raft guide for RVA Paddlesports and Riverside Outfitters, and as an instructor in search and rescue with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. Alicia was also an active swift water rescue instructor teaching multiple classes during her off-duty time across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia as a valued instructor with Rescue 3 International, a global organization that provides technical rescue training. According to Chesterfield County Fire & EMS Chief Loy Senter, “Alicia’s untimely passing weighs heavy on our hearts. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her fiancé, her two sons, extended family, and many friends. Her coworkers continue to support the needs of the family while at the same time providing uninterrupted emergency services to the community Alicia loved where she grew up and lived. While she will always be remembered for her devotion to duty and unparalleled service to others, her legacy will be the inspiration she provided to countless young women considering careers in the fire service or the pursuit of causes bigger than themselves.”
TyVaughn Eldridge, 26, received his wings Saturday, July 3, 2021. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Goldie Upton and Nathaniel Eldridge. He leaves cherished memories to his mother, Ragene' Carter; father, Thomas Eldridge; siblings, Malaki Carter and Samaria Carter-Long; grandparents, Karen B. Carter, John Carter Jr. (Carolyn); the love of his life and college sweetheart, Kenya Gray; devoted aunts and a host of other relatives and friends.
Jason Dean Ware, age 46, of Saluda, passed away August 11, 2023. Jason was born and raised in Middlesex County and was a 1994 graduate of Middlesex High School. He grew up playing little league and JV baseball. Hard working at an early age, he rode his bike to his first job at a blueberry farm a few miles up the road for his home. He loved playing and following all sports, but he found his passion when he joined the UMVFD when he was 16 years old. Jason stayed on with the department for many years until he briefly moved away. However, with perseverance and determination, he achieved his dream of fighting fire professionally in 2003. Jason soon returned to Middlesex, where he started and raised his family. Jason was a dependable friend to all he met, a dedicated son, husband, and father. He was an avid Boston Red Sox and Washington Redskin fan. He loved cutting his grass, tending his garden, and dropping by the neighborhood "office" to catch up with the guys. Of all his accomplishments and things he enjoyed to do, what made him the proudest was his wife and daughters. Time with them was always the best time spent. Captain Ware was a 20- year veteran of CFEMS. After graduating from Recruit School #33, he served in multiple station assignments throughout the county. His beloved assignment was the Chester Fire Station, one of the busiest in the county and where he served as a firefighter and most recently as captain. Over his career, Captain Ware received various awards and most recently served on the department's recruit interview panel where he was involved in the hiring decisions for multiple firefighters now serving the residents of Chesterfield County. Jason is survived by his wife Krystal Ware; daughters, Lauren Ashleigh Ware and Nichole Morgan Ware; his mother, Valerie Jones Ware; his brother, Matthew Ryan Ware (Allison), aunts; Portian Lauterbach Jones, Thelma Clarke, Margret Ellington; mother-in-law, Malinda Henderson Bowers; father-in-law, Robert Duncan Bowers; sisters in law, Candice Fens, Kimberly Skrzycki and Jennifer Desai; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. He is preceded in death by his daughter, Morgan Lynne Ware; his father, Lloyd Dean Ware and his uncle, Glenn Stephen Jones.
Lt. Robert Evans Talbott, 55, of Danville passed away on Friday, December 20, 2024, after a brief, but valiant fight against occupational cancer. Born on February 2, 1969, in South Boston, VA he was a son of Glennwood Watkins Talbott and LuRay Trout Talbott. Robert was a graduate of Blue Stone High School class of 1988, a graduate of DCC class of 2011 with a degree in Fire Science. He was an Eagle Scout, an avid Motor Cross rider, a life member of the Danville Life Saving Crew, he worked for 8 years at Danville Fire Department and at the time of his death he was a Lieutenant with Chesterfield County Fire and EMS. He attended Riveroak Church of God. On July 1, 1995, he married Carol Cassell Talbott, who survives. In addition to his parents and wife he is survived by three children, Austin Talbott (Jill), Evan Talbott (Fiancée Emily McGuire), Amanda Talbott, a sister, Lynn T. Mulherin, a grandson, Ashton Talbott, and a brother-in-law, Curtis Cassell (Scharlotte). He was predeceased by a brother, Gerry Talbott, and a grandson, Ryland James Talbott.