Boston Firefighter's Final Act -- Saving Two Colleagues
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Hundreds of firefighters gathered Monday morning on Washington Street in the South End for the funeral of Robert Kilduff Jr., a firefighter who died in the line of duty fighting a fire last week.
A hush fell over a sea of uniformed bystanders as the hearse and the family’s cars passed towards the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. A fire truck carried Kilduff’s casket draped in an American flag.
Red fire trucks followed a procession of black cars as a long line of firefighters stood at salute, the cry of bagpipes and the thud of drums heard in the distance.
Kilduff, 53, died on the night of May 23, while responding to a fire at 18 Treadway Road in Dorchester. He fell from a third-story window and was gravely injured. He was a third-generation firefighter with 24 years on the job and a Marine veteran. He is survived by his son, daughter and longtime partner Jessica Struell.
Family members and firefighters followed as pallbearers carried Kilduff’s casket into the cathedral.
The funeral began at 10 a.m. as a slice of blue sky cut through the cool and cloudy morning.
His children, Hannah Jane, 24, and Mason Kilduff, 22, delivered eulogies about their father, who gained a reputation for showing up for others and being full of compassion.
“Throughout my entire life, he has dedicated his life to helping others. He loved his city. He loved his community. And he loved his job,” Hannah Jane said. “The only thing he loved more than being a firefighter was being our dad.”
Mason Kilduff, who is also a Marine, said he and his father shared a passion for the city of Boston and bonded over sports teams while Mason Kilduff was stationed over 700 miles away.
He said his father loved building community through loyal friendships, his community down in Key West — which he jokingly called “B.K.’s disciples” — or the many young men he coached for the Parkway Pop Warner Falcons.
“I was always so proud to call him my dad,” Mason Kilduff said. “He was the one front and center when it came to helping someone. All I thought when I saw that was, ‘Yeah, that’s my old man.’ But the greatest thing that I get to claim about my dad was that he was my best friend.”
Lt. Greg Kelly worked with Kilduff in Rescue Company 2.
“He’s leaving such a hole in this crew I can’t explain it to you,” Kelly said.
In addressing Kilduff’s children, Kelly said Kilduff was surrounded by his fellow firefighters when he took his last breath.
“He knew how much we loved him,” Kelly said. In Kilduff’s very last act, he yelled up to other firefighters to back up because they were working in a part of the building that was unsupported due to the fire.
“His very last act was to push two firefighters out of a dangerous area,” Kelly said. “Seconds later, we lost him.”
Boston Fire Commissioner Rodney Marshall shared his condolences with the Kilduff’s family.
“Know that we are always here for you and offer you our support today and in the years to come,” Marshall said.
Marshall said he spent time with members of Kilduff’s group and firehouse, and they all spoke about his character.
“While Bobby is worthy of the title ‘hero’ many times over, he would never want you to call him that. He would prefer to be known for being a great dad, a great partner, a mentor, a brother firefighter, a friend. He was truly a light in this world,” Rodney said.
Mayor Michelle Wu recalled Irish folklore that says rain falling on the day that someone is laid to rest is a blessing from heaven — a sign that their soul is at peace and has been safely welcomed to be with God.
At Kilduff’s wake on Sunday, it began to rain exactly as people stepped off for a walk at Saint Theresa of Avila Parish, Wu noted.
“And 24 hours before that, to the minute, there was a random sonic boom caused by a meteoric fireball — it seems to me that B.K. is not only just fine up there, he’s figured out how to work all the controls already," Wu said.
Firefighters in Boston have shown up when needed for nearly 350 years — longer than anywhere else in America, Wu said. “Last Saturday night, Bobby Kilduff answered the call. He gave his life making sure his neighbors got another day.”
Sam Dillon, president of the Boston firefighters’ union Local 718, said Kilduff leaves behind a legacy “far greater than any one person could ever dream of achieving.”
“Today, we promise to honor Bobby’s legacy by living lives worthy of his sacrifice,” Dillon said.
Firefighters from Somerville, Concord, Hyannis, Groton and Woburn were only some of the many departments represented from all across North America on Monday morning outside the cathedral. Even firefighters from as far as Canada arrived to pay their respects.
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