VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The community came together Monday to celebrate the life of Virginia Beach Fire Department Capt. Matthew "Chevy" Chiaverotti.
The day began with a procession, including a stop at Station 7 in Town Center, where Chiaverotti worked as captain.
He died on April 17 after a hard-fought battle with cancer.
Loved ones and longtime colleagues honored Chiaverotti during a service at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. They showed an outpouring of support.
Scores of people gathered outside the venue, and then headed inside where speaker after speaker shared fond memories.
Chiaverotti spent more than 20 years working as a firefighter in Virginia Beach. Fire Chief Ken Pravetz described him as a natural-born leader with a "heart of gold."
"Though his time with us was far too short, Matt left an indelible mark," Pravetz said. "He loved helping people. He loved being a firefighter."
"How do we honor God and Chevy? I think it's actually pretty simple. We start by loving and serving each other," Virginia Beach Master Firefighter Tom Wright said.
Additionally, Chiaverotti served as a FEMA search team manager with Virginia Task Force 2. He deployed to catastrophes places like Haiti, Puerto Rico and Florida.
13News Now introduced viewers to Chiaverotti earlier this year, in the middle of his fight against anaplastic thyroid cancer. He was diagnosed in August 2022.
Back in 2012, he spent hours at the scene of the military jet crash known as the "Good Friday Miracle."
No one can say for sure whether that caused his illness, but a hazardous mix of toxins filled the air and the ground that day.
"Most people would have a negative attitude about the cards they were dealt but not Matt," Sara Chiaverotti said, the wife of Capt. Chiaverotti.
Beyond his service to the community, Chiverotti is remembered as a beloved son.
His father, who served in the U.S. military, recalled this proud memory.
"I was able to call him and say 'Captain Chiaverotti, this is Captain Chiaverotti,'" Gary Chiaverotti said during the service.
Sara gave the eulogy Monday afternoon, describing her late husband as her best friend and one love.
She dedicated much of her message to their son, Gus.
"Daddy loved teaching you the ways of the world," Sara said.
Before his death, Chiaverotti saw the passage of key legislation for the generations after him.
Firefighters who are diagnosed with certain presumptive cancers can receive compensation. Earlier this year, thyroid and bladder cancers joined the list of cancers eligible for benefits. The list already included leukemia, pancreatic, prostate, rectal, throat, ovarian, breast, colon, brain, or testicular cancer.
Instead of flowers, the family is asking people donate to the Virginia Beach Fire Foundation or Texas Fire Fighters Home in Houston.
Chiaverotti was 44 years old. You can read his obituary here.