Dowling's wife, Jacki, shared the memory about the day she found out her husband survived the Southwest Inn fire that killed four other Houston firefighters.
"The magnitude of his injuries were beyond description. I've never seen anything like it. He was in a fight for his life," Jacki said.
She also shared excerpts from his prayer journal.
"He loved everyone so much and he took time out of his day to write down prayers for them," Jacki said.
One of Dowling's sons, Foster, fought back tears as he talked about the day his father died. He also shared many childhood memories that he said he will always cherish.
"As I sat there with him that day in the hospital holding his hand, as he took his final breath, I looked upon the many memories he gave me," Foster said.
"Without a doubt, he is the greatest dad anyone could ever ask for," Foster said.
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Capt. Dowling's son speaks at memorial service
SEE ALSO: Capt. Bill Dowling remembered as man of faith and fight