CLOSE

A Glendale man injured in an apartment fire last week died Wednesday, 10 days after his girlfriend died in the same fire.

Timothy Leonor, 22, died Wednesday while being treated at the Arizona Burn Center, Glendale Fire Department spokesperson Ashley Losch said on Thursday.

On Jan. 13, Leonor and his girlfriend Heather Williams were removed from an apartment fire near Northern and 52nd avenues, Glendale fire officials said. Williams died from her injuries and Leonor was taken to the burn center in critical condition, according to fire officials.

There, Leonor was in a medically induced coma with burns covering 40% of his body, according to a GoFundMe campaign created by his sister-in-law Shana Van Atta. He was taken off life support just after 9 a.m. Wednesday after experiencing complications with surgery, according to the GoFundMe.

“Timmy was a stand-up guy. He would give the shirt off his back to help someone. Always tried to put a smile on everyone’s face,” Van Atta wrote to The Arizona Republic.

“People always thought because of his size he was a hard a–, but he was just a big teddy bear, which you could clearly see in his job as a caregiver. He truly loved his job and helping people in need. It is sad to see him go at such a young age, and he will be missed by so many.”

Leonor was a caregiver for adults with mental disabilities, tending to their daily needs and taking them shopping and to socialize, Van Atta said.

The GoFundMe was created to help cover funeral expenses on behalf of Leonor’s mother, Yolanda Alvarado, said Van Atta. It raised more than $2,000 of its $5,000 goal by Thursday afternoon.

A separate GoFundMe campaign was created to help pay for the funeral costs for Williams. Her funeral will be held on Jan. 25 at Horizons Community Church in Peoria, according to the GoFundMe.

Williams was overcome with smoke as she tried to find her dog, and they died together, according to her mother, Dawna Wisdom.

She was described by her mother as loving, giving and not having “a bad bone in her body.” Williams also took care of adults with mental disabilities, Wisdom said.

Fire officials said at the time that 11 people were displaced because of the apartment fire.

Investigators still do not know the cause of the fire, officials said. The investigation is ongoing.

Reach the reporter at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @curtis_chels.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral today.

Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/glendale/2020/01/23/man-dies-injuries-after-glendale-apartment-fire-girlfriend-died/4557203002/