Andrea Jean Gaxiola was seen by her fellow firefighters as someone who embodied the finest qualities of a true firefighter. Andrea served the citizens of San Diego with honor and distinction for nearly 21 years, joining the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department in October of 1990, and advancing to Firefighter II the following year. Despite being diagnosed with job-related cancer in 2009, Andrea chose not to retire until 2012. Andrea always did what she could to help others, her mottos being “I will take care of that,” or “How can I help?” Andrea passed away after succumbing to the effects of her job-related cancer in 2015. She is survived by her brother, niece and nephew.