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The North Tazewell Volunteer Fire Department held a dedication ceremony on Thursday evening for a memorial bench in honor of Capt. Roy Lee Sewell.

Sewell died on April 24, 2023 when the engine he was driving left the pavement on Cedar Fork Road and dumbbells down an embankment. The 27-year-old captain was en route to establish a landing zone for a medical helicopter responding to an ATV crash involving a 9-year-old boy.

“Roy represented the best of us, always committed to serving his community. His loss is a great loss for everyone and at least being able to acknowledge his commitment with this bench goes a long way,” Chief LaRoy Brandt said.

The bench was donated to the department by Mike Reece and Reece Monument Company.

“In light of a lot of things that are happening right now, you know Roy would have been out there trying to help everybody from the hurricane,” Brandt added. “This means a lot for me personally because I learned to be a better Fire Chief because of Roy, both as a firefighter and from his loss. It’s affected me in a great way in terms of how I can carry on his legacy.”

Thursday’s dedication was led by Brandt and attended by several members of the NTVFD along with friends and family members. Roy’s brother, Matthew Sewell, and sister Christy Turner along with her husband Dean Turner also attended the ceremony.

Chaplain Connor Snow offered a prayer and several other firefighters shared their memories of Capt. Sewell.

Two former fire chiefs John Fultx and Austin Sandifur also attended the ceremony.

“Both loved Roy. They’re retired now but both of them were mentors for Roy,” Brandt said. “Everyone here came to love Roy in some way.”