WACO (November 18, 2009)--A memorial service for slain Waco firefighter Ramonell, James, 55, will be held at 11 a.m. Friday in Downsville.

The service, which is open to the public, will be held at the Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church in Downsville, where James was a member.

In lieu of flowers, James’ family has asked that food donations be dropped off at any Waco fire station for delivery to area food pantries during the annual Food for Families drive on Friday.

James was selfless, his coworkers said, and was heavily involved in charity work, especially the annual Food for Families drive.

Waco Fire Chief John Johnston, who started with James as a rookie in the early 1980s, said firefighters would make an extra effort during this year’s food drive in James’ honor.

Firefighters found James’ body after putting out the fire that leveled his home on Nov. 12 in the 200 block of MJR Road in rural McLennan County near Robinson.

His death was ruled a homicide.

An autopsy lists the cause of death as a gunshot wound to the head.

Meanwhile James’ son, Ramonell Stephens, 21, remains in Parkland Hospital in Dallas, where he was taken after Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Chad Buenger who was responding to the fire, found a burned man after stopping to check out a car that was parked sideways in the middle of the road near the intersection of South 3rd Street and Loop 340.

According to the trooper's report, the man had visible burn injuries and told the trooper he had just come from the scene of the fire.

When the trooper asked if the man was armed, he said he was and the trooper recovered a weapon from the vehicle, the report said.

The report says the man told the trooper that he had shot a person at the house and then had set off the explosion.