Nathan McCoy, a Waterboro call firefighter with a passion for the community he served, died Tuesday after a short illness. He was 40.

McCoy served as a firefighter for more than two decades and had worked for the Waterboro Public Works Department for the past three years.

He grew up in Waterboro with his parents, Duane and Rosemary McCoy. As a young boy, McCoy liked hanging out at the fire station down the street from his home. In 1992, he followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the department’s junior firefighter program.

He graduated from Massabesic High School in 1995 and joined the department’s call force.

“He made us very proud,” his mother said.

Fire Chief Matt Bors said McCoy worked in fire prevention education and served as a call lieutenant and call captain over the years.

“He had a passion for the community and thoroughly enjoyed what he did as a firefighter,” Bors said. “He was always attached to his pager. If there was a fire, he would get up and run.”

Deputy Chief Lisa Bennett, McCoy’s cousin, said he was a mentor to her and other new firefighters. She said his passion for fire service inspired her to follow the same path.

“He would be the first one to take a new firefighter into a burning building,” she said. “He was very knowledgeable and very skilled. He didn’t mind showing any new person the ropes.”

For the past three years, McCoy worked for Waterboro’s Public Works Department – he drove the town’s dump truck and operated its backhoe loader.

David Benton, the public works director, said McCoy would haul material to job sites and plow the town’s parking lots.

“He did anything else we needed him to do,” Benton said. “He was a good worker. He loved his job. He loved the town of Waterboro.”

McCoy’s last fire call was June 16 at the commercial building on Main Street that housed Family Dollar, Asian Taste and ACE Hardware.

McCoy’s life changed on Dec. 19, when he was admitted to Southern Maine Medical Center with severe respiratory problems and put on a ventilator. Doctors diagnosed him with Aspergillus, a fungal infection in his lungs. He fought it for 50 days before suffering cardiac arrest on Feb. 6.

McCoy’s mother remembered him Thursday as a good man and a great son. He lived next door to his parents.

“I’ll miss seeing him come through the door,” his mother said. “I saw him every day. He was here every day. It’s a great loss to us.”

Melanie Creamer can be contacted at 791-6361 or at:

mcreamer@pressherald.com

Twitter: MelanieCreamer