NC fire department mourns another loss as wife of firefighter dies of the coronavirus
The wife of a part-time Clayton firefighter died Monday from COVID-19 complications — the second person connected to a coronavirus outbreak at the fire department that also took the life of a firefighter.
Alison Michaud Vessie died Monday morning while the department held a procession to pay tribute to Deputy Chief Jason Dean, who succumbed to the coronavirus just days before on Sept. 23, according to a news release from the town.
Vessie’s husband, Matthew, worked for the department and also was diagnosed with COVID-19, a town spokeswoman said. Alison Vessie spent the past month being treated at Johnston Health in Smithfield, the town said.
It was not Vessie’s first major health battle. She had beaten stage 4 cancer, the release stated.
Health officials don’t know what caused the coronavirus outbreak at the Clayton Fire Department that was first reported in August. But the first sick firefighter led to four positive tests on the same shift, with 17 eventually testing positive, The News & Observer reported. Three people were hospitalized.
Clayton Fire Chief Lee Barbee previously told The N&O the department was trying to take precautions. The department was sanitized daily, but staying six feet apart is difficult when responding to emergencies.
“They don’t eat at the table together anymore — they eat alone,” Barbee said in August. “The bunk rooms they share have now been moved and only one person sleeps in a room. That means some sleeping in the training room or the small gym room.”
The Vessie family issued a statement through the town, saying they don’t want anyone else to experience the same suffering their family has encountered.
“Please, in honor of Alison, understand that this pandemic is not an issue of politics but one of public health and protecting each other,” the statement said. “Please continue to wear masks, socially distance and wash your hands frequently. This family has seen how miserable COVID is to live through – in this case proving even more formidable than cancer.”
‘A people person’
Alison Vessie, described as a “people person,” was a mother to daughter, Arden, a social worker, a pastry chef and most recently, a real estate agent, the town said. She moved to Clayton after living in Canada, New York and Massachusetts.
According to the town, she spent 15 years as a social worker. She volunteered at food pantries and animal rescue organizations. She adopted three dogs and also helped her daughter adopt a street dog from Guatemala.
Vessie owned her own bakery, The Plain Jane Baking Company, a venture she started in New York, but also operated at the North Carolina State Farmer’s Market, the release said.
No public services are planned. Funeral arrangements are being handled by McLaurin at Pinecrest Memorial Park Funerals & Cremation, the release stated.
The town said Fire Equipment Operator Steve Benson is the remaining firefighter recovering from COVID-19 and has been transferred to a rehabilitation facility.
This story was originally published October 1, 2020 at 7:10 PM.