Houston police officer Norberto Ramon was remembered as a hero Monday for helping rescue hundreds of flood victims during Hurricane Harvey, all while undergoing cancer treatment.

Ramon, a 25-year veteran of the Houston Police Department, died on June 15, and services were held Monday. He was 56.

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“He was a warrior; he fought a good fight,” said Ramon’s brother, Alex Ramon, Jr. “In dying, my brother has raised the bar for us when it comes to ethics in working and, of course, in living our lives.”

Family and fellow officers gathered for Norberto Ramon’s funeral at River Pointe Church in Channelview, meeting afterwards for a Hall of Honor ceremony outside of the church.

Ramon, a San Antonio native, was a loving husband, friend and father, said friends who spoke at his service.

“Norbert was a man of honor, integrity and self-respect,” said Lt. Patrick Murray, Ramon’s longtime friend. “Norbert held these in high esteem and practiced them every day and in every aspect of his life.”

Ramon was a patrol officer for about 15 years and a traffic enforcement officer for 10 years. His police records turned up countless letters from chiefs, supervisors and citizens, written about Norbert and the service he provided the community, said HPD Chaplain Monty Montgomery.

“I know he was very proud to be a Houston police officer,” Montgomery said. “What we’ll never understand today … is how much evil was put aside, how many criminal acts that were prevented every day and how many citizens’ lives were touched and changed by the actions and investigations Senior Officer Norbert Ramon pursued as a good and faithful Houston police officer.”

Ramon’s co-workers noted their friend’s dedication to others during Hurricane Harvey as a testament to his character. Ramon worked with the HPD Lake Patrol officers to save more than 1,500 people during the storm, despite being treated for advanced colon cancer. He filled in for an officer on the seven-person squad and worked nonstop for three days, helping adults, seniors and mostly children to safety.

He received a number of awards for his service.

Ramon told his friends in the midst of media attention, “I want to get my message out, that just because you have been diagnosed with a terminally ill disease doesn’t mean you have to stop living,” recalled Sgt. Epi Garza, of the police department’s Lake Patrol division.

Ramon spent the last two weeks of his life surrounded by family, friends and his fellow police officers and even took one last fishing trip out of Rockport.

“Without a doubt, God had his hand in this,” Alex Ramon said. “In two weeks, he taught us how to live a lifetime.”

Ramon is survived by his wife, Cynthia Ramon, and his three sons, Greg Medina, Dustin Medina and Joshua Ramon. He is also survived by three grandchildren, Madison, Carter and Reed; his father, Alex Ramon Sr.; and his brother, Alex Ramon Jr., and sister-in-law Drucilla.

He will be buried in the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio on Thursday.