William Bradley Rawlins 1955 – 1988
 

Born April 22, 1955 in Layton Utah. 

Married Pamela Jean. 

On March 18, 1988 Brad and three of his children

William Deda (born 1980),
Camie Jean (born 1983), and
Lacey Breann (born 1985)

died in a house fire in Centerville.  He and his three children are buried in the Centerville City Cemetery.  

Services slated Wed.

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CENTERVILLE William Bradley Rawlins, father, 32: William Deja Rawlins, 7, son; Cami Jean Rawlins, 4, daughter; and Lacey Breann Rawlins, 2, daughter, passed away from smoke inhalation March 18, 1988 at their home in Centerville.

William Bradley Rawlins was a masonry contractor and prospector. He was born May 22, 1955 at Hill Air Force Base.

He married Becky Eckersell Dec. 6, 1974. Survived by Tory Lee Rawlins, age 12, of Salt Lake City.

He married Pamela Jean Buck Feb. 3, 1980 in Farmington, mother of William Deja Rawlins, born June 25, 1980; Cami Jean Rawlins, born July 15, 1983 and Lacey Breann Rawlins, born May 18, 1985. Survivors include Pamela Jean Rawlins, wife/mother, of Centerville; H. Wm. (Bill) Rawlins, father/grandfather, of Bountiful; Carol Bumingham, mother/grandmother of Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Lew Buck, father-in-law/grandfather of Syracuse; Patsy Carolynn Murray Buck, mother-in-law/grandmother of South Ogden; Carolyn Louise Buck, sister-in-law/ aunt, of Syracuse; Charles Owen Buck, brother-in-law/uncle of Evanston, Wyo.; Kathy Brown, sister/ aunt of Kaysville; Charles M. Rawlins, brother/uncle, Farmington; James B. Rawlins, brother/uncle, Bountiful; Karen Day, sister/aunt, West Bountiful; Tracy Pledger, stepsister/aunt, Bountiful; Amy Pledger, stepsister/ aunt, Bountiful; Mel & Ida Campbell, grandparents, Bountiful; Peggy Rawlins, grandmother, Bountiful.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, March 23 at 1 pm at the Centerville 3rd Ward Chapel, 900 S. 400 E, Friends may call Wednesday one hour prior to the services at the church. Interment will be in the Centerville City Cemetery.

Davis County Clipper March 28, 1988

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Tragic fire results in four deaths by Judy Jensen, Editor

CENTERVILLE—Funerals will be held today for a father and his three children who died tragically late Friday in a fire at their home. William Bradley Rawlins, 33, and his children William Deja, 8; Cami Jean, 5; and Lacey Breann, 3, of 80 W. Porters Lane, were the victims in the two alarm blaze.

According to Fire Chief Brent Argyle of the South Davis Fire District, they received the call at 11:34 p.m. and crews arrived on the scene within three minutes. "When we arrived the children had been pulled from the house by their mother who had risked her life in an attempt to save her family." He explained that medical crews worked feverishly to try to revive the children, but it was too late. They had died of smoke inhalation.

Chief Argyle said they did not find the father until they had put out the flames that had started at the back of the house. "We found him sitting on the stairs with his head on his knees." The Chief said Mr. Rawlins had apparently tried to escape, but had been overcome. [Photo caption: Police barricaded this home in Centerville to investigate the cause of a fire that killed four people and caused $40,000 damage.]

The mother, Pam Rawlins, was the first to arrive on the scene. She had been working late at Albertsons on Friday night and became worried when she called home and her husband did not answer. Mrs. Rawlins asked a friend to drive her home and when she arrived, she found the back of the home) engulfed in flames.

According to Chief Argyle, she broke a window and tried to get into the back of the home, but was driven back by the flames.

According to Chief Argyle, she broke a window and tried to get into the back of the home, but was driven back by the flames.  She then ran through the front door and pulled the children out of the house. "She was very lucky! that she was not a victim, the smoke was so thick," he explained.

As crews worked to clean up the fire they were able to piece together the probable events that occurred minutes before the tragedy occurred. "Mr. Rawlins was apparently lying on the sofa watching T.V. when he fell asleep and his cigarette fell and slowly burned deep into the sofa," said Chief Argyle.

He explained that when he awoke, Mr. Rawlins must have been disoriented from the smoke, because it was obvious he moved about the room. At one point he apparently tried to fight the fire with a bucket of water from a nearby sink. "It's impossible to think clearly when you have inhaled smoke like that," said Chief Argyle, "the only thing you can do is get out!"

Chief Argyle explained that a smoke alarm in the home had been "rendered inoperable" and therefore did not function when they needed it most. "It had probably malfunctioned at one time and had not been repaired. They provide such simple and inexpensive fire insurance, but too often they are not thought of until it's too late, "he added.

Davis County Clipper March 28, 1988

https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6kh1gp3

https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6kh1gp3/942190