James M. Pero

Lieutenant James M. “Jim” Pero dedicated his life to righteousness and helping people in need. Despite his title being a lieutenant or firefighter for the City of Mentor, he also served in the U.S. Army and always saw it as more than a profession. He did not do it for the City of Mentor, he did it because it was his calling.

Jim was admired for his sense of humor, compassion towards the underdogs, and his fiery personality to never back down. It’s that passion to do what was right and never back down that made him so good at his job. Outside of work, some would say his real passion was to make people laugh, and his little nieces refer to him as the inspiration for their practical jokes.

From his love of animals, especially his golden retrievers, to his love of exploration, Jim was never sitting down or in one place for too long. He traveled the world. Despite putting out fires most of his life, no one could ever put out his. That fire lives on with his son Anthony, his wife Helen, brothers and sister, and everyone who’s taken a page out of his playbook to never back down.