John Pavlicek began his career in the fire service in 1965, when he was hired by the Riverside City Fire Department.  He was promoted to the rank of engineer five years later, which he especially enjoyed.  He continued to serve as a part of the Riverside community for 22 years.  In his free time, he enjoyed spending time with his wife and two daughters.  He liked fishing and water sports, as well as spending many hours rebuilding and fixing cars in the family garage.