CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - Champaign remembers 55-year-old Dominic Smith after he passed away in a deadly car crash. 

Smith was a Champaign firefighter. Smith and his wife were involved in a deadly car crash early Saturday morning were both were ejected from the vehicle. 

Now, the community is remembering Smith for the husband, father and firefighter he was. Jason Rector, a coworker and lieutenant at the Champaign Fire Department, said he admired Smith's compassion as a firefighter. 

“We had a medical call with an elderly lady and he held her hand for 15 minutes and just talked her through what she was going through and it was very inspiring for me to watch the love he was displaying and the care for this patient," Rector told WAND News. 

Smith served in the U.S. Army and then enrolled as a volunteer firefighter at his local fire department. He was chief at Woodland Fire Department in Iroquois County. Then, he went on to serve as a firefighter for the City of Champaign for the past 16 years. 

Coworkers said Smith was not just a firefighter, but a fantastic cook.

"Dominic was one of the best chefs at the fire department. He would always create these amazing meals," one coworker said. 

Smith was known for leaving a smile in every room he entered. 

"He will truly be missed, most of all our hearts go out to his family and children," a colleague said. "I can't imagine what they’re going through right now."

Smith and his wife are survived by their two children and grandchildren. A GoFundMe has been set up to help the Smith family with funeral expenses.Â