“He was a superhero that we didn’t know was a superhero.”
As a child, Roderic Heard, 32, never really considered his father, Rodney Heard, a 20-year veteran of the St. Louis Fire Department, “a hero.” When one of his sisters recently made the comment, Roderic, the youngest of Heard’s six children, realized that his father was indeed a champion of family, community and public service.
Heard’s tour of duty ended on June 15, 2021, after losing his battle with the coronavirus. By all accounts, Heard, 54, was a soft-spoken, deeply religious and family-oriented man.
“He was there for everybody. He was a superhero, not just to us but the whole community.” – Roderic Heard, son of fallen firefighter Rodney Heard.
Since his father’s passing, the youngest Heard has been blessed with countless stories from loved ones, firefighters and people in the community about his father’s influence on their lives. Heard grew up in the Cochran Gardens public housing complex on the near north side of downtown. Like many low-income individuals, Black fathers are often missing from homes.
“One of my friends from Cochran recently told me that my dad was his father figure,” Heard recalled. “He filled that role of love and structure that most Black boys are missing. I didn’t realize the role he played for the whole community until I was an adult.”
His father was always “positive and spiritual,” Heard added. “He always put God first, ‘everything else will work itself out,’ he’d say.”
Heard agrees with those who defined his father as “soft-spoken.” He wasn’t the type of father who physically punished his children.
“Dad was always a very calm and cool guy. He wasn’t rattled much at all. He didn’t really whoop us; it was pretty much talk. He’d make us explain why we did whatever we did. He’d talk us through why that decision was wrong.”
Heard said he was about 10 when his father became a firefighter. Before that, he served as a correctional officer at the city workhouse. At six feet, two inches, his father was a rather imposing figure. But Heard remembers a dad who played basketball with his kids and refused to let them go outside and play until their homework was done. He recalled crying as his father sat there with him making sure the deed was done.
Out of Melissa and Rodney Heard’s six children, Roderic is the only one who joined the fire department. He was hesitant to consider the career choice for years.
“I came to realize that Dad was the reason I became a firefighter.” – Roderic Heard, son of fallen firefighter Rodney Heard.
“In my mind, firefighters were guys who rushed into burning buildings to save people. I was a bit nervous about joining when I was younger. But, as I got older and started a family of my own, I reconsidered,” he said.
“I realized that Dad helped us achieve a better way of life by becoming a firefighter. Coming from the neighborhood that we did, everybody doesn’t make it out, let alone find a career. I came to realize that Dad was the reason I became a firefighter.”
Heard joined the fire department two years ago. He works out of Station 33 on Broadway and Halls Ferry in the Baden neighborhood. Ironically, his mother and father lived near his firehouse. He’d often go by and visit with his parents after work, he said.
Then his father suggested that he not come by the house. He’d been diagnosed positive for COVID-19 and didn’t want to risk infecting his children or grandchildren.
Tragically, the late Heard was scheduled for a vaccination shot right before the diagnosis. His son has no explanation why his father, a first responder, waited so long to be vaccinated. He does know his dad made the decision out of his growing concern for his family.
Heard kept up with his father’s condition through his mom or by phone.
“It got so severe; he couldn’t hold conversations; he had shortness of breath and couldn’t sleep when normally he’s so energetic.”
Rodney Heard was admitted to St. Mary’s Hospital on May 10, days before his and Melissa’s wedding anniversary. He was only allowed one visitor at a time. Although firefighters were constantly on the scene, only family members were allowed to see him. At first, Heard said, it seemed like his father was recuperating.
“It turned upside down almost overnight. His vital signs dropped, his lungs were failing, he was in a coma and on a ventilator. We sorta knew it was coming but nothing could prepare us for it.”
On that fateful day in June, the family received a call from the hospital telling them that things didn’t look good. They were urged to get to the hospital as soon as possible. Heard said “15 or 20 minutes, after the call,” his father had passed away.
Due to the pandemic, Heard’s graduation ceremony was postponed until this year, June 9th to be exact. His father’s absence was certainly dramatic, as Fire Department Chief Dennis Jenkerson told KSDK News:
“I know Rodney was looking forward to pinning the badge on his son.”
During the phone interview with The American, Roderic’s seven-month-old son, vied for his attention, saying “Daddy, daddy!”
Heard has five children, one less than his mother and father. He too, seemed to have the patience of a loving father, gently soothing his son while recalling memories of his father. Not only is he continuing his father’s legacy as a firefighter, he also plans to share his dad’s life lessons with his own children.
“He was there for everybody. He was a superhero, not just to us but the whole community.
“One of his favorite sayings to us kids was: ‘Don’t be like me, be better than me.’
“I don’t know if that’s possible, but I’ll probably pass that along to my family.”
Sylvester Brown Jr. is The St. Louis American’s inaugural Deaconess Fellow.