Officer Marc Uland Kelley of the Trinity University Police grew ill March 12 while responding to a fire alarm call at a residence hall on campus and died two days later. The cause of death was a heart attack, said family members. He was 41.

Kelley stood 6-foot-1, but it was his sense of giving that was truly big, they said. Known for his broad smile and cheery wave, Kelley was just days away from celebrating his third anniversary with the Trinity police department.

“When I interviewed Mark for the police position, I thought, 'This is a big guy,' but when I listened to him, he shared his passion that he always wanted to be a police officer,” Chief Paul J. Chapa told My San Antonio.com. “I realized he was just a gentle giant at heart.”