POTTSVILLE---Captain Adam Hench worked for the Salvation Army since 1999, first in Berwick and then in Pottsville, since 2005.
Last week, Hench died from diabetes-related complications. He was 47 years old.
Tuesday, friends and family gathered for a viewing at the Salvation Army building in Pottsville.
Major James Cocker of the Salvation Army Training School in New York was a close friend of Hench's and travelled to town speak at his funeral.
"He was just a great gentleman and person who loved the Lord and wanted to serve the community through the Salvation Army," he said.
Hench leaves behind a wife, three children and a legacy of service.
He responded to Ground Zero after the September 11 attacks and to areas ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, not the mention severe flooding in northeastern and central Pennsylvania and day-to-day work at the Salvation Army.
Friends remember him as a man who loved baseball and bowling, too.
"Very easy to get along with, very spiritual, just, just a great guy to be around. He always made you feel at ease," said Mary Metzger who worked with Captain Hench at the Salvation Army in Pottsville.
"He's going to be missed. I missed him too, but he was a great man for the community, you know he helped a lot," agreed his friend James Metzger.
Hench's funeral is scheduled for Wednesday morning.
Hench's family asked that donations be made in his name to the Salvation Army of Pottsville or the Salvation Army of Berwick.