Boston Mourners Gather for a Second Time

BOSTON --

Thousands of mourners gathered once again for the funeral Friday of one of two Boston firefighters killed battling a restaurant blaze in the city's West Roxbury neighborhood last week.

The service for Warren Payne, 53, of Canton, Mass., is being held at the United House of Prayer for All People at 11 a.m. in the city's Dorchester neighborhood, where Payne grew up.

Mourning firefighters could be seen in tears, embracing inside the church as those paying their respects filed into the sanctuary on Seaver Street.

As services began, Payne was honored for his bravery and selflessness.

"Today we are here to celebrate the life of a fall hero, Warren J. Payne. I am in awe of the duties of firemen. In my estimation, they are heroes. They give of themselves unconditionally. These individuals, when most are running from fires, they are running to fires. What I like about it is, it doesn't matter where you come from, their only goal is to save a life. And Warren did that. He gave a service. He gave his life for mankind," Apostle C.D. Baptist, the pastor of the United House of Prayer said.

The ministers who concelebrated the service said they had gathered not so much to mourn Payne's loss as to celebrate his life of service.

"Why can't we be spiritual firefighters, willing to go, whatever the cause may be?" prayed Apostle C. Polk, the church's New Bedford pastor. "Father, we ask that brother Warren will continue to be an example for all of us."

Payne was the son of Florence R. Payne and Izza Booker and was a graduate of Brighton High School. He joined the Boston Fire Department in 1988 after working at Massachusetts General Hospital. He worked at the West Roxbury fire station his entire career.

According to his obituary, on the night of his death Payne was not scheduled to work but had come in to cover the shift of a fellow firefighter who needed the time off to take emergency medical training.

Some mourners outside the church said they did not know Payne personally, but wanted to come to pay their respects because of his heroism.

"I heard about him as a firefighter ... for me he's like a personal brother because he's out here doing the job we should all be appreciating ... after all, they do lay their life on the line," mourner John Kirkland said.

"It's sad because he's like part of the family," another woman said, explaining why she had come to the service.

Payne leaves behind two sons, Jonathan, 16, and Jeremy, 15, both of Newton, and his longtime companion Patricia Hackett. He will be buried in the firefighters' plot at Forest Hills Cemetery in Boston.

Payne and Paul Cahill, 55, of Scituate, Mass., were killed Aug. 29 when they answered a call for a fire at the Tai-Ho chinese restaurant on Centre Street.

Officials said the blaze had been smoldering in a drop ceiling space for at least an hour before it was noticed. Investigators said it was likely a vicious backdraft killed the two firefighters.

A funeral Mass was held for Cahill at Holy Name Catholic Church in West Roxbury Thursday with an estimated 30,000 firefighters from all over the world in attendance.