Bernie Mont
•6/24/2026
Jan A. "Jay" Sanders Jr., a firefighter and paramedic who died last Thursday after a years-long battle with occupational cancer, will be honored at the Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center in Punta Gorda.
A U.S. flag flown at half-staff, black and purple bunting draped over his fire truck, and Father’s Day cards he never got to read are among the tributes celebrating Sanders’ life.
"[I had] no bad experiences with him. Always, always good, good fun — good laughter," Charlotte County Fire Department Chief Matthew McElroy said.
Sanders’ cancer was linked to exposure to chemicals at work. McElroy, who was a close friend of Sanders, said he never imagined losing him.
"He just told me it was no big deal, like, we were going to beat this, win this for the last four years. I didn’t once think he wasn’t going to win," McElroy said.
For McElroy, Sanders’ death serves as a reminder of the risks firefighters face in the line of duty.
"You can’t not project this on yourself with cancer because, you know, all of us have been exposed to chemicals like this," McElroy said.
Frank Leeb, managing director of the First Responder Center for Excellence and a former New York firefighter, shared similar concerns.
"Firefighters have a higher chance to get cancer in their lifetime than a non-firefighter," he said.
Leeb advocates for annual medical screenings to help detect occupational cancer early.
"What I advocate for is annual medicals, annual screenings to make sure that we are catching anything that could be wrong with you," he said.
Leeb’s advocacy is driven by personal experience.
"I have lost many friends to occupational cancer, some that were really close friends where I was with them, even when they passed away," Leeb said.
McElroy said his focus moving forward is to honor Sanders’ memory.
"I want to cherish Jay as not only a friend and colleague, but a brother," he said.
After Thursday's funeral service, a procession will leave the event center at 3 p.m.
