DECATUR, Texas — A North Texas contractor who also served as a pastor was found dead in the Wise County Courthouse on Friday morning, apparently having fallen from a ladder he was working on, police said.
Glenn Hejny, 58, of Ennis, was identified as the victim, according to a police statement.
Police said officers were notified at about 6:40 a.m. that a man had been found unresponsive on the second floor of the courthouse, which is located in Decatur. Officers arrived and found Hejny, who was dead, according to police.
Police said the initial investigation indicated that Hejny "had fallen from a ladder he was working on."
Decatur police were still investigating his death Friday.
Wise County Judge J.D. Clark, in a statement Friday, called Hejny's death "an absolutely tragic accident."
"Glenn Hejny was a great man and an incredible craftsman," Clark said. "We have enjoyed getting to know and working with him on this project, and we are devastated about his passing."
Hejny also served as a pastor at The Road Church in Ennis and was frequently featured in livestreamed sermons on the church's Facebook page.
"Glenn's idea of faith and belief is to love the un-loved. He is the epitome of love," said Deacon Alan Scott.
He was a dedicated community member there, and before The Road, he was heavily involved with Tabernacle Baptist Church. On Friday, comments filled WFAA's social media pages about Hejny's incredible craftsmanship, friendship, generosity and memorable personality.
"Beautiful work. Everything had to be perfect. Just because that's who he was and that's how he was about God," said Scott.
One anecdote came from a longtime Tabernacle member about Hejny purchasing Camp Living Stones, a Christian outdoor adventure and recreation youth camp in Tennessee, a brand new bus after realizing during his visit there that theirs had broken down.
He leaves behind a beloved wife, two sons and a grandchild.
