WINCHESTER, Ind. (WISH) — Winchester firefighter Rick Sanders died in the line of duty Thursday while battling a house fire. Now, his family and community are mourning and remembering his impact.

Sanders died of cardiac arrest. The fire department says he began feeling ill inside the home, came out for help, and later died.

Billie Sanders, Rick Sanders’ wife, says it isn’t surprising Rick died helping others, that was always his character.

“I can’t believe he’s gone, Billie said. “He was everybody’s superhero like he would he’d be the one everybody would call, and now I don’t know … If you didn’t know him, you would think he was the biggest grumpiest person there was on earth, until you got to know him and then he would just do anything for you. He would give you the shirt off of his back, his last dollar.”

Rick’s aunt, Connie Yost, lives in the house right next door to the home Rick was inside. She came home to find out he had become ill and rushed to an ambulance right outside of his door.

Yost said Rick lived a life of service. That was especially true in March when her home was partially destroyed by a tornado. Rick jumped into help, without asking questions.

“He came in to pick up thing and tearing up the rest of the concrete away from the porch,” Yost said. “He just jumped right in here and did what he had to do for family.”

It was not just his family impacted, though. Handfuls of people came out on Friday to show their support as his body was taken from a nearby hospital back to Winchester.

Rick was also the owner of Sanders’ Service Auto Repair and Towing. His family hopes to keep his legacy alive through the business.

“I’ve been in this business with him for six or seven years now and I am glad that he was my mentor, and that he taught me as much as he did,” Rick’s son-in-law Jacob Farrington said. “I would hope that I could carry the name of Sanders and serve on as the professionals that we are.”

His family says they hope people move forward the way he would, with humor and joy. He recently turned 48 years old and celebrated with family.