Stockton honors slain firefighter Max Fortuna with memorial, final alarm

Bagpipes played and drums sounded for the hundreds gathered Tuesday morning to mourn and celebrate the life of Stockton Fire Capt. Vidal “Max” Fortuna, who was shot and killed in the line of duty last week.

Vidal “Max” Fortuna, Max Fortuna, Stockton Fire Department, Rick Edwards, Ken Johnson, Ryan Hoskinson, front,

Fortuna, 47, served his community for 21 years before he was shot Jan. 31 while responding to a fire near Aurora and Washington streets.

A bell rang nine times at about noon, and a dispatcher announced the final alarm for Fortuna, whose body lay before those gathered at Banner Island Ballpark in Stockton.

Stockton Fire Chief Rick Edwards said:

Max, rest easy my friend. … We’ll take it from here.”

Fortuna started with the Stockton Fire Department on Dec. 1, 2000. Before he died, he was part of Engine 2, where he was assigned for several years and was one of the busiest stations in the city.

He also worked on the hazardous materials team for a brief time. Fortuna was promoted to captain in 2009.

Shortly after he started with the fire department, he quickly became known as a fireman’s fireman, Lodi Fire Chief Ken Johnson said in a eulogy:

Max wanted the toughest assignments. … He wanted to save lives.”

Johnson said that to Fortuna, work was worshipping God, following references to Fortuna’s religious faith. He called Fortuna’s life “selfless.”

Fortuna had three pillars in his life: faith, family and being a fireman, Johnson said.

Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln said:

Today, we honor a leader, a hero and a man who was deeply loved. … That’s exactly who Capt. Max Fortuna was.”

Lincoln said Fortuna led by example. Very few people understand the sacrifices that firefighters and their families make, Lincoln said.

Edwards added that is takes a special person to be a firefighter, to run into a burning building and tend to a person taking their last breath.

Fortuna also trained firefighter recruits, whose respect he earned.

Edwards said:

Max was a born leader. … He focused on developing others.”

Fortuna’s daughter Samantha said friends would often comment that she had a good dad, even a great dad, but she would correct them.

She told the crowd repeatedly, as her husband, her brother and his fiancee stood by her side:

Our dad was the best.”

She added of her father:

Love radiated from him.”

Fighting back tears at times, Stockton Fire Capt. Ryan Hoskinson said he couldn’t put into words what he wanted to say to remember his colleague, so he didn’t prepare anything. But he described Fortuna as someone who liked to have fun and who was mischievous:

Every time he was around you, you felt good.”

Fortuna didn’t have any enemies in the fire department, Hoskinson added.

Johnson said:

His life was cut short, and he was stolen from us.”

Fortuna is survived by his wife Becky, a son Joshua, and his daughter. He and his wife recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.

A man is in custody and has been charged with the fatal shooting of Fortuna.