Rodney Nickerson, an engineer with deep family ties to the broader Los Angeles community, resisted pleas from his family to evacuate as flames approached the Altadena home where he had lived for more than five decades. “Despite the dangerous conditions, my grandfather insisted on staying in his home, a place that was deeply meaningful to our family,” Chase Newton, Nickerson’s grandson, wrote on GoFundMe. “His last words to my mother were, ‘I’ll be here tomorrow,’ but he never made it out.” Family members made the grim discovery of his remains. Nickerson, 83, is among 25 deaths confirmed by authorities in the Palisades and Eaton fires as of Jan. 15. Another 34 people are missing, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. “Rodney Nickerson was a pillar of the Los Angeles community,” Newton wrote. “After graduating from LA High School, he served honorably for four years in the U.S. Navy. He then went on to spend 45 years working as a project engineer at Lockheed Martin.” He also was the grandson of William Nickerson, a prominent Black businessman who founded Golden State Mutual Life Insurance — and was the founder and namesake of Nickerson Gardens, the largest public housing development in L.A. Members of the Nickerson Gardens and Watts communities, on Tuesday, Jan. 14, hosted a candle light vigil to honor Nickerson’s life, and his family’s ongoing contributions to the community. “Mr. Nickerson lost his life in his home, that he worked so hard for — that he paid a $5 bill to get — at a time when it was so hard for people of color to own property in this city,”  LAPD Deputy Chief Emada Tingirides said. “It is truly amazing that we are honoring his life and his family here in this community.” Nickerson also was a deacon, the Rev. Jermaine Johnson — better known as Rev. J.J. — said during the vigil, noting that he was heavily involved with the church community throughout his life. “We are going to miss him tremendously,” Johnson said. He also served as the chairman of Weller Street Missionary Baptist Church, according to the GoFundMe page. “We have lost not only my grandfather but also the family home where I grew up. The home was a place of countless memories, where my grandfather lived out his final days and where we all gathered for so many special occasions,” Newton wrote. “As we grapple with this devastating loss, we now face the daunting task of rebuilding, both physically and emotionally.” Any donations to the GoFundMe page, Newton wrote, will be used to help rebuild the Newton and Nickerson family’s generational home in Altadena, which Rodney Nickerson had owned since 1968. “Our family’s roots run deep, but this fire has taken everything, including a piece of our heart and history,” Newton wrote. “Every contribution, no matter the size, will help us heal and honor my grandfather’s memory, as well as continue our family’s legacy in this community.” The GoFundMe page, which has raised just over $5,500 as of Wednesday, is available online at tinyurl.com/NickersonFund.