CONOVER, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A local family of a fallen firefighter is getting their mortgage paid off on their Taylorsville home by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation in observation of Independence Day.
Conover Fire Department Engineer II Ricky Allen died of occupational cancer on March 4, 2023. He was 36 years old.
“Ricky dedicated his life to serving and protecting others—he was a true embodiment of courage and sacrifice. To have his legacy recognized on a day that celebrates freedom and service to our country means so much. It reminds us that his life and his sacrifice matter and that we’re not alone in carrying his memory forward,” said his wife, Nicole Allen.
At 17 years old, Allen followed in his grandfather’s footsteps and joined the Conover Fire Department as a junior firefighter.
While with the department for nearly two decades, Allen earned certifications in Firefighter I & II, EMT, and Technical Rescue, specializing in Water, Structural Collapse, Trench, and Hazardous Materials.
Allen leaves behind his wife of 11 years, Nicole, and their two daughters, Sophia and Ellie.
“Losing Fire Engineer Ricky Allen to service-related cancer highlights the unseen sacrifices made by our first responders, who put the safety of others above their own every day,” Tunnel to Towers Chairman and CEO Frank Siller said. “By paying off the mortgage on his family’s home, we ensure Nicole and their girls will always have a place to call home.”
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s Fallen First Responder Home Program pays off mortgages for families of fallen law enforcement officers and firefighters who are killed in the line of duty or who pass away from 9/11-ralted illnesses and leave behind young children.
The Allen family is one of 25 families across the country receiving a mortgage payoff from the Tunnel to Towers Foundation this 4th of July.
“This mortgage payoff is life-changing for our family. Truly an answer to Ricky’s prayers for us and proof that God still hears and answers those prayers, even after one is gone from this world, Nicole said.”
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
