BIG SPRING, Texas — Greg McAlister, a battalion chief with the Big Spring Fire Department, tragically passed away after suffering injuries in an out of state motorcycle accident.
McAlister served the Big Spring and Howard County community as a firefighter for 22 years.
However, his service as a firefighter won't be the only reason that he will be remembered.
His friends and family will always remember him as a charitable man with a heart of gold who was always looking to help people where he could.
"He would go beyond to make people laugh. It didn't matter what it was, he would do it," Justin Edwards said. "He just wanted to make people happy.”
It's just the way McAlister was. Someone who always wanted people to laugh and smile.
It coincided with his love of motorcycle riding. He began riding at a young age and eventually rode with his friends.
According to Jeremy Clark, another friend of McAlister's, motorcycle clubs have a priority to help with various charitable causes, such as veteran organizations.
It also perfectly fit McAlister's lifestyle: to lend a helping hand wherever and whenever he could.
"He was really big in the motorcycle community. He had a lot of involvement with any kind of community, helping the community, veterans, children and people in general," Edwards said. "I mean, there wasn't a thing that he didn't have his hand or something involved in.”
That helping spirit also extended to his career.
His father was a firefighter, so McAlister naturally became one as well. As he rose the ranks, his hard work and dedication shined as bright as his character did.
“When you choose the profession as a firefighter, your soul, the very being of who you are, is a giver," Clark said. "He was willing to sacrifice his life for a complete stranger. That in itself could sum it up about this great man.”
Everyone was an equal in McAlister's eyes. No matter how well he knew them personally, nobody was a stranger to McAlister.
“If he didn't know you and you approached him, he had a smile on his face for you. He had a hug for you," Edwards said. "It didn't matter if you were a stranger or if [you] were his best friend."
He was a man taken far too soon. However, his memories will be cherished forever by the people who love him the most.
“He was a literal angel walking this earth, and he's home where he belongs, but he just left us a little too early,” Clark said.
McAlister leaves behind a wife.
A public memorial will be held at Trinity Baptist Church at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14.
Meanwhile, the 6th annual "Bikes Across Big Spring" event that takes place on Saturday, Oct. 5 will be dedicated to McAlister.
The event includes a poker run and a live auction. Funds are raised and donated for various veterans organizations, but this year's event will also serve to benefit McAlister's wife.