HERRIN, Ill. (WSIL) -- A firefighter for more than half his life, Lindell Coriasco earned the name 'sparky' from his friends and colleagues over the years.
"I don't know why that is," said Herrin Fire Chief Shawn Priddy, "That's what they called him."
"It's not that he sparked fires right," the reporter asked.
"No. He did the opposite," Priddy laughed.
But Coriasco sparked a number of changes to the Herrin Fire Department in his 42 years of service.
Coriasco died Friday in Memphis, Tennessee from injuries sustained in a car crash last month. Coriasco was 83-years old.
Services are being held Saturday at Williamson County Fire Station #1 in Marion starting at 10 a.m. with a public visitation. The funeral is at 1pm.
Coriasco will be buried at Egyptian Memorial Gardens in Energy following a full firefighter service.
Starting as a volunteer in 1958, Coriasco worked his way up the ladder to become chief in 1982. After staying there for eight years Coriasco started the Williamson County Fire Protection District and was chief the first 10 years.
Coriasco received a national award for public education program and started the smoke detector sales program at the Herrin Fire Department, one of the most successful in the country.
Those accomplishments just scratch the surface of the legacy Coriasco leaves behind, says Priddy.
"We still operate under ordinances and policies and programs that were started by chief Coriasco," said Priddy. "Everything from giving out smoke alarms to codes that are being used by the codes department and us and going out and doing inspection programs."
Coriasco trained generations of firefighters and now two generations of Coriasco's are continuing the tradition of service. Captain Jack Coriasco and Lindell's grandson Colin both serve together.
Priddy says Coriasco didn't stop helping even after retiring in 2000.
"He still lived it, breathed it, loved it," said Priddy.
"Chief Coriasco was a fireman's fireman."
