Firefighters with the Englishtown Fire Department are mourning the loss of a colleague who passed away after responding to a call.
Pasquale "Pete the Pepper" DiBenedetto, 68, responded to a carbon monoxide alarm activation around 8 p.m. on July 30.
The next morning, DiBenedetto told a friend he was not feeling well and asked for a ride to the hospital, according to a post from the U.S. Fire Administration.
He suffered a stroke while being taken to the hospital and required emergency surgery.
On Aug. 2, DiBenedetto passed away at the hospital.
DiBenedetto, a 47-year veteran of the Englishtown Fire Department, served as the chief engineer.
"It's a very big loss," Englishtown Fire Chief Lou Sarti told NJ.com. "It's a hole I don't know if we'll be able to fill. We'll never have another Pepper."
A wake will be held from 4-9 p.m. on Aug. 6 at the Lester Memorial Home in Jamesburg, NJ.
The funeral takes place at 10 a.m. on Aug. 7 at the Our Lady of Mercy Church in Englishtown, NJ.
