JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — A year after his passing, the Jacksonville Beach community gathered Saturday morning to honor firefighter Ian Church with a street sign dedication — a permanent reminder of his service, love for family and deep ties to the beach community he helped protect.

Church, a devoted firefighter, husband and father, passed away from cancer on August 20, 2024.

The ceremony began with a prayer led by Priest Mason Wiggins, Church’s uncle. The family stood side by side with city leaders, including Jacksonville Beach Mayor Christine Hoffman and Fire Chief Percy Golden, as they unveiled the sign in Church’s honor.

His wife, Brittany Church, shared what the day means for their family.

“So yesterday, she said, ‘Oh, that’s my daddy’s sign,’ and she danced around, and just knowing that his death wasn’t in vain, and he was a very great man, it’s a really, really great thing that you can give your kids,” said Brittany.

Church joined the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department in 2021 and quickly earned a reputation for dedication, skill and leadership — earning a promotion to engineer in June 2024.

“This is such a big deal for him because he was such a man of tradition,” said Brittany. “He was like an 80-year-old man stuck in a 40-year-old man’s body. So, to have his name on a sign, he’d be smiling down and saying, ‘Thanks babe for doing this for me.'”

Wiggins said Church was always thinking about his family, even in his final moments.

“When he was dying, and I was in the hospital with him, the thing that he was most concerned about was his family, his wife and his kids,” said Wiggins. “He wasn’t concerned for himself and that, that really has stuck with me all this time.”

Hoffman told First Coast News she hopes the sign will inspire others to serve with the same passion as Church did.

“I hope it gives them hope for the future and too that he’s gonna have a lasting impact on not only that family that he helped to create, but to this community, and I think that sign is a real physical memorialization of that,” Hoffman said.

For family, friends and fellow firefighters, Church’s name will live on.

“I just want people to know that he really loves this community,” said Brittany. “He loved his family and his friends, and he loves Jax Beach. And just know that there’s an angel watching you when you’re at the park or driving by the station.”

The street sign now stands as a permanent tribute to Church — honoring his service, bravery, and legacy.