Affton fire captain laid to rest, honored with procession

AFFTON, Mo. – An Affton fire captain was laid to rest on Thursday after taking one last trip to the firehouse as part of the procession. Family and friends of Captain Jim Cova came together to honor his life.

“It is pretty sad. You know, we miss him,” firefighter Jordan Levinson, Affton Fire Protection District, said.

“We’ve lost one of our family members, a good friend, a great firefighter and this will stay with us for a very long time,” Affton Fire Protection District Interim Chief Aaron Rhodes said.

Friends who knew Captain Cova best said he was known for his cat rescues.

“I remember when we were kind of pulling together all the different photos and stuff, we could actually pick from a multitude of photos of Jim’s cat rescues,” Levinson said. “So, it was pretty unique; it doesn’t happen often.”

Captain Cova’s love for his family is what friends say they will remember the most.

“He was the family man first and foremost. His family was his world, and they were his. His wife, his daughters, his family, as well as his fire family,” paramedic firefighter Jimmy Cripps, Affton Fire Protection District, said.

Firefighters said Captain Cova’s sudden passing is a big loss, but they are going to continue to honor him.

“We honor Captain Cova every time we get back on the trucks and run another call. It is how we honor all our fallen firefighters; we continue to do the job and continue to support our community,” Rhodes said.

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