Thomas Wilson Berry III was born on March 13, 2001, into a family full of first responders, so naturally he dreamed of being a firefighter since he was in diapers. Whenever the fire siren blew, he would put on his costume—coat, boots, and helmet—and pretend to go on the call. Thomas loved spending time at the fire house growing up and counted down the days until he could join. At age 15, he was finally able to as a junior member at the Ellendale Volunteer Fire Department, making him a fourth-generation firefighter. As time progressed, Thomas took it upon himself to mentor new junior members and pass down knowledge that he attained during his experience.

Thomas attended Milford Senior High School. He was a member of the FFA and graduated in 2019. During his free time, he enjoyed spending time with family and friends, modifying his truck, going for joyrides throughout Sussex County, and hanging out at any firehouse waiting for a call. Thomas was hired by Sussex County Department of Public Safety in July of 2022 as a logistics technician. Thomas had hopes of one day becoming an EMT and maybe even a dispatcher. While balancing a career and home life with family and friends, Thomas was consistently a top responder with the Ellendale Fire Department. For his commitment to the fire company and serving others, he received Ellendale’s Firefighter of the Year award in 2022. In 2023, Thomas was one of many members of the Ellendale Fire Department to receive a Phoenix Award for his contribution to life saving measures for a patient who suffered and survived cardiac arrest.

In December of 2023, Thomas was voted in as a probationary member at the Georgetown Volunteer Fire Department, although he had been running calls with them for quite some time. Thomas had been working on completing classes through the Delaware State Fire School, with the plan of running for a captain position once his probationary year was over.

On August 13, 2024, Thomas was on his way back from a field assignment and stopped to render aid to a motorist involved in a motor vehicle crash. Thomas tragically lost his life at the young age of 23 while operating on scene of the motor vehicle crash, giving the utmost sacrifice for his community. He saved and touched more lives in his eight years of fire service than many will in a lifetime. He was known for his love and dedication to the fire service and took his last breath on this earth while doing what he loved. Thomas was more than just a son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, and friend. He was and will always be a hero.