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Name: Travis Turbyfill

Date of Birth: March 25, 1986

Travis was born and grew up in beautiful Prescott, Arizona. As a child he lived in Groom Creek,

where his love for the outdoors began. He lived next door to his grandparents and often spoke

of hunting and fishing with his grandpa on a daily basis from the time he was 3 years old. Travis

was an only child but began developing friendships at a young age that would last a lifetime.

He graduated from Prescott High School in 2004. He fulfilled a lifelong dream when he began

his career as a wildland firefighter in 2005. Travis served in the United States Marine Corps

from 2007 to 2010. He then resumed his career as a firefighter in 2011 with the Granite

Mountain Hotshots, a crew of men who were not just coworkers but friends and brothers.

Travis and I went on our first date on July 22nd

, 2007. He told me just days before he passed

away that he fell in love with me that night. I admitted that it took me a little longer which he

of course laughed at. We were married on August 1st

, 2009, with our best friends at our sides

and immediate family surrounding us standing on the red rocks of Sedona, Arizona. He was the

love of my life, my best friend, and my soul mate. We loved spending time together, talking,

and making each other laugh. We shared a tremendous pride in our two little girls. I loved our

life together.

On July 19th, 2010, Travis became a daddy for the first time. He held our sweet baby girl,Brooklyn Elizabeth, now two and half years old, in his arms so tight. Tears streamed down his

face all day long, a side of Travis I had never seen before. On January 10th

, 2012, we had our

second baby girl, Brynley Elizabeth, now one and a half years old. He fell in love all over again.

Travis was a hands-on dad. He changed diapers, painted toenails, and played with the girls

non-stop. Every time I turned around someone was hanging upside down or flying through the

air. Last summer, while Travis was away on a fire, I was having a hard time getting the girls to

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sleep. Travis told me to put my phone on speaker and he read one of their favorite books,

Good Night Moon, to them over the phone. At the time I thought he had it memorized, but

he later told me that he had picked up a small version of it at a gas station to keep in the

hotshot buggy, equally adorable. Our older daughter, Brooklyn, said to my mom yesterday,

Daddy was my best boy ever. The girls love and adore him beyond words.

Travis had a heart of gold and wore it on his sleeve. There was never a question about how he

felt about anything or anyone. If he thought it, he said it. Of course this got him into trouble

many times, but for me and our girls and our family and friends it was wonderful. Not a day

went by that we didnt know how much he loved us, cared for us, and appreciated us. He

thought he was the luckiest person in the world, but I know we were the lucky ones.

There is so much I can say about Travis. He was a strong man, a natural leader, a great

firefighter. He loved what he did and did it well. He had an absolutely amazing talent for

engineering, welding, and metal fabrication. He hoped to someday soon have his own sidebusiness using these skills. He also loved guns, shooting, hunting, hiking, camping the list

goes on and on. He just loved life to its fullest.

On June 30th

, 2013, I had not seen or heard from Travis since he left for work early that

morning. I had heard from a close friend and fellow hotshot wife that they had been called to

the Yarnell Hill fire and I knew they were hard at work. That evening I had overwhelming

feelings of missing Travis, loving Travis, and being loved by him. I now know this was the time

he was leaving this earth and this life and being carried by angels to dwell in the house of the

Lord forever (Psalms 23:6) with his Heavenly Father. Travis deserved perfection and knowing

that is what he has right now brings me peace.