A veteran firefighter from California has passed away due to a "cardiac event," and will be most remembered for his heroic career and his "outrageously large mustache." 42-year-old Anthony Ganzler died off-duty on March 17, as the Fremont Fire Department announced on Instagram.
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Late Firefighter With "Outrageously Large Mustache" Mourned By Friends And Family
The caption mentioned how the fire chief was notified that morning about Ganzler's passing. "Anthony Ganzler suffered a cardiac event and passed away in Elk Grove, CA," it said. "We extend our deepest condolences to Anthony's family, friends and loved ones throughout our own ranks and beyond."
Ganzler, a father of two, had joined Fremont FD in 2019. "He was a loved and cherished member of our organization," said Deputy Fire Chief Heather Mozdean to People. For the past six years, Ganzler had served for the department's Special Operations Task Force.
Although Ganzler is fresh-faced in the photo announcing his death, he has previously sported an iconic mustache. For Movember, the event that raises awareness about men's health issues, Ganzler and other firefighters grew out their mustaches.
Mozdean said, "Anthony's was probably the best mustache that we've had." The late firefighter is wearing a grown-out mustache in his final department photo, as confirmed by Mozdean.
The Fremont Firefighters on Instagram shared a heartwarming message about Ganzler alongside a photo of the stache. They described Anthony as "a lion of a man" who had a "warm personality" and a "great sense of humor." On top of that, he often has an "outrageously large mustache."
Ganzler "was a loving husband to Erin, a devoted father to Savannah and Abigail, and a cherished member of our fire family." They also said he was "universally loved by all he worked with and his passing is an immeasurable loss for our organization."
The department announced that it would be raising funds to help cover any funeral costs for the family. The GoFundMe is already nearly 80% of the way to the goal of $75,000. According to the California Fire Foundation, they will be holding a memorial service for Ganzler on Thursday, March 27.
