By Dale Neal dneal@citizen-times.com

ASHEVILLE More than half a century after Gus Werhan's tragic death in the line of duty, the city he had protected made sure that the Asheville firefighter's name would never be forgotten.

In a ceremony Sunday, officials formally renamed the downtown station of the Asheville Fire Department in honor of Charles Augustus "Gus" Lanning Werhan, who died fighting a a downtown fire in 1963. He was only 25 years old.

Werhan's widow, Joan, kissed her fingers and touched the new brass sign on the wall of the firehouse where he husband had served.

"We're just grateful that she's here to see this," said her son, Michael Werhan.

At his death, Werhan left a young widow and two children, Michael, then 2, and Teresa, 18 months old. Michael's last memory of his father was going to the barbershop for a haircut and getting the car serviced at a downtown garage. Werhan let his young son stay in the car and ride the lift up as the oil was changed.

It was Dec. 9, 1963. Werhan was off-duty that day, but hustled into work at word of a major fire sweeping through the Susquehanna Antique Store on Biltmore Avenue. Werhan was trapped beneath a piano when the second floor collapsed on him and two other firefighters.

"In spite of the heroic efforts of his fellow firefighters to save him, Gus didn't make it," the Rev. Fred Werhan, his brother, recalled at the ceremony.

On Christmas Eve 1963, the young widow answered the door when four Asheville firefighters brought her husband's last Christmas gift to her — a coat he had put on layaway for her at J.C. Penny. Joan Werhan said she wore that coat until it was worn out.

"I remember the black crepe on the columns of the fire station," said Councilman Jan Davis, who was only about 14 years old when the tragedy shook the town. "The loss of one of our officers scars us forever."

Fire Chief Scott Burnette hopes to honor all of Asheville's fallen firefighters by renaming stations. The move began with the christening of the Capt. Jeff Bowen Bridge over the French Broad River. Bowen died from smoke inhalation in a fire at 445 Biltmore Avenue in 2011.

Burnette said the next ceremony will be renaming Fire Station 6 on Haywood Road in honor of Raymond Flowers, who died in 1982 when the steeple of the West Asheville Baptist Church collapsed on the firefighter in a blaze.

"After that, I hope that we don't have to rename any more (future) buildings," Davis said. "Chief Burnette and the department are working hard and training to make sure that all of our firefighters go home safe."