Thomas Dowling's strong work ethic and devotion to duty earned him a strong reputation in his firefighter family. Born in Lohrville, Iowa, he moved to the Eagle Rock community of Los Angeles in 1965. He began his 31-year career with the Los Angeles City Fire Department in 1977. He worked his way up the ranks to Captain II in 1993. In his spare time, he enjoyed spending time with his wife Betty, watching his sons Kevin, Erik and Joey play football and debating with his daughter Sarah. He passed away from job-related cancer.