Community bids a final farewell to longtime City of Waco sanitation worker who died from health complications

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - The City of Waco is mourning the loss of one of their own. Sanitation worker Nick Ebertz died from health complications on March 5. In order to allow his co-workers to attend his funeral the city moved trash pickup services from March 14 to March 15.

At the service, near 200 people, including sanitation workers, gathered at the Pecan Grove funeral home to pay their respects to Nick.

During the service, friends and relatives shared stories of the late city worker’s commitment to his staff.

“The men and women that have worked with him would say that Nick didn’t miss a day of work,” pastor David Cozart said.

They also talked about his dedication to his community.

”He will never be forgotten for all the good things he’s done for so many people,” his brother Dominic Ebertz said.

Nick worked with the City of Waco Solid Waste Department for 23 years. In 2020, he recruited his middle son, Phillip, to join his team.

Philip still works as a mechanic at the department. ”He taught me all the mechanics stuff I know, how to tear down a motor, brakes, everything,” Phillip said.

The past couple weeks have been especially hard on the Ebertz family, Phillip told KWTX.

”We’re trying to hold it down the best we can but we just want to make him beyond proud of us,” Philip said.

The flags at the city’s Solid Waste Administration offices were at half-staff in honor of the city worker.

The City of Waco also closed the Solid Waste Call Center from 12:30 to 3 p.m. on March 14.

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