Garey Humphrey proved he would do anything for his family up to his last waking moments as he tried to save his children’s lives. The cook at Morrill Commons was a hard worker and dependable employee, according to his supervisors, but he made it known to all around him that his family would always come first and his job would have to wait.The critical injuries he received on April 4 while trying to save his children from a house fire claimed the life of Humphrey on Sunday, June 11.Garey Humphrey, 41, received treatment at the Ohio State University Medical Center’s burn unit for over two months, but never regained consciousness after the fire.A spark from an extension cord at the Humphrey’s Hamlet Street home ignited the fire. Humphrey and his 12-year-old daughter Keshia tried to save his 3-year-old twins, Michelle and Michael and his 6-year-old son Garey Jr. from the flames, but were overwhelmed by heat and smoke. Keshia and Michelle Humphrey died shortly after the fire, and Garey Humphrey recently became the third victim to the flames.”Garey’s family always came first,” Morrill Commons supervisor Deanna Park said. “He would take overtime shifts as much as he could, but if his family needed him, he would always be there for them.”According to Park, Humphrey and his wife Tracy arranged a work schedule allowing one of them to always be home to look after the children.Supervisor Patricia Cardwell said Humphrey was a co-worker and personal friend of hers who was always talking about his family.”He was a good family man who would do anything for his children,” Cardwell said. “He was always talking about his children and planning what he was going to do with them when he returned home from work.”Along with being a wonderful father, Humphrey also was admired by many of his co-workers.”Garey was the nicest guy and got along with everyone,” Thomas Newton Jr. said. “His passing is a significant loss to Morrill Commons and to the university.”Humphrey had a special type of personality that could brighten anyone’s mood. His sense of humor and charisma seemed to touch everyone he knew.”He was a wonderful man,” Park said. “He worked in the morning shift and was here every weekday at 5:45 a.m. and every weekend at 7 a.m. Most people are not in the best mood that early in the morning, but Garey would be singing and joking around with everyone and he would soon have us all laughing and in much brighter spirits.”With the combination of his uplifting personality and his dependability as an employee, his supervisors knew how important he was to the staff. “Garey was such an admirable and honest man and he knew his job was to assist the students,” Park said. “He worked so well with the staff mainly because he respected everyone’s differences and opinions. He really represented the types of qualities this department stands for.”The funeral was held Friday at the Diehl-Whittaker Funeral Home, 720 E. Long St. at 2 p.m.Proceeds from the April 29 Ohio State spring football game, totaling $20,000, were donated to the surviving members of the Humphrey family.