Chatham man killed in house fire remembered as kind, helpful person; vigil planned

Floyd Selby, who died in a house fire in the east side of Chatham Tuesday night, is being remembered as a kind, helpful person.

Selby, 43, was pronounced dead on the scene after fire ripped through a multiplex on St. George Street, fire officials said in a previous media release.

Four people also were taken to hospital with no details provided on their condition, nor names released.

Investigators remained at the scene of the fire on Thursday as work continued to determine the cause.

Chris Glassford describes his uncle as “super bubbly and very smiley.”

“Anytime he could help people, he would,” Glassford said.

Selby was always “a good guy,” he said. “He’s the type of person you could always count on for anything.”

Glassford recalled Selby being ready to offer his Xbox system to one of his kids after their system broke.

“I didn’t take him up on the offer, because I figured he still needs it,” Glassford said.

Tammy Lucas, general manager of the WISH Centre, which is a community hub for the neighborhood, remembers Selby taking part in programming there in his youth.

Selby went to school with her son, Lucas said. “He was kind to everyone, very kind.”

Both Glassford and Lucas said Selby was very close to his mother, Sherry Selby, who died at the end of May.

“They were an inseparable pair,” Lucas said.

Glassford said Selby’s mother was his best friend.

“That was a hard thing for him recently,” Glassford said, adding his uncle was just getting his life back together.

Glassford added his family is “shook up” because they had many conversations with Selby recently after the passing of his mother.

Selby also was a regular around the outdoor basketball court at Taylor Park on the corner of King and Princess streets. Someone spray painted ‘RIP Floyd’ on a wall near the basketball court.

A vigil in memory Selby is being held at Taylor Park on Friday, beginning at 8 pm Family, friends, neighbors and colleagues are invited to attend.

Meanwhile, the WISH Center is collecting gift cards for the surviving victims of the fire.

Lucas, who is in contact with the surviving fire victims, said they are in need of food, hygiene products, and clothing.

“When they left that premise that night, they were basically with what they had on their backs,” she said.

Lucas said donations of gift cards are preferable, because the center doesn’t have the room to take in donations such as household items and furniture.

She said the WISH Center knows the families, who she is not identifying for privacy reasons, and can ensure the gift cards are property distributed to them.

No funeral details are available, yet.