A local woman is focusing her energy on something positive in the wake of her father’s unexpected death last month.

While Mandee Brown is mourning the loss of her father, Jimmy Gudroe, who was Dexter’s fire chief, she also is working to refurbish a community playground in his memory.

"My dad loved kids. He never missed a fire prevention week," Brown said Thursday. So it seemed only fitting to Brown that she enlist some help and work to raise money to replace the Dexter Community Playground equipment on Crosby Street with a firetruck and other assorted playground equipment. Her goal would be to have the playground renamed the Jimmy Gudroe Memorial Playground.

Brown met with the Dexter Town Council earlier this month to announce the project.

Gudroe had previously served with the Garland Fire Department for five years before he joined the Dexter Fire Department, where he served for 16 years, the latter two as chief.