Fallen Boston Firefighter was Living His Dream

BOSTON -- Fallen Boston firefighter Paul Cahill came from a large, classic Boston family full of civil servants -- and he perished while living out his dream to help the community.

"We come from a big family of police and firefighters and people doing service to the community, and he wanted to be part of that," said his sister, Kathleen Hall, a nurse who lives in Hingham.

Cahill, 55, a married father of three from Scituate, and fellow firefighter Warren Payne, 53, of Newton, perished Wednesday night while battling a fast-spreading blaze in West Roxbury.

Yesterday, Cahill's grieving family and brethren recalled a hard-working man --a master journeyman electrician and Vietnam vet who became a firefighter later in life at age 41.

"It was his favorite job. He loved it more than anything," said Hall, 54. "He just loved the people and had absolutely no fear.

"He was funny and full of life and always happy," she said.

Cahill, a firefighter for 14 years, was the son of the late Patrick J. Cahill, a veteran and retired, decorated Boston Police detective who died three years ago. His mother, Genilde, worked as a nurse and both his parents grew up in South Boston.

Cahill, a 33-year member of Local 103 IBEW in Dorchester, was one of six siblings who grew up in Dorchester, Roslindale and later Dedham. The fallen jake was named after his uncle, Paul Lotti, who died in the Korean War and is memorialized at a monument at South Boston's Castle Island.

"They're a wonderful, wonderful family. They're hard-working, honest people, a family of enormous integrity," said former Boston Mayor Ray Flynn, a longtime Cahill family friend. "They really represented the great Irish Catholic values of Boston."

Cahill's first job was at Engine 37 in Roxbury -- the busiest in the city. "He loved the job. He was a great fire fighter," said Boston fire fighter Steve Craven, 43, who worked with Cahill at Engine 37.

Cahill said he was immensely proud of his three children: Brendan, 28, a former Marine living in California; Adam, 21, and a daughter, Shauna, 18, a student at UMass Dartmouth. His wife, Anne, is a Canton school teacher.

"He was always talking about his kids and his wife," recalled Craven. "He was super proud of the family."

Cahill's "fantastic" cooking was renowned in Boston fire houses -- especially his "red meat" dishes.

In April 2003, Cahill went to work at Engine 30/Ladder 25 -- the first crew to arrive at the inferno. "Every man has the boy in him that wants to be a fireman," said Capt. Pat Nichols of Ladder 25. "He loved doing his job."

Republished with permission from the Boston Herald

Go to The Boston Herald for more information on the fire deaths.