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Thousands packed the streets of Staten Island Wednesday morning to say goodbye to a man known as a "firefighter's firefighter."
Family, friends, and fellow firefighters attended a funeral service for Lieutenant Robert Ryan at Sacred Heart Church. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta were also on hand to pay their respects.
Ryan, 46, was killed while putting out a fire in a home on Van Buren Street in New Brighton Sunday that stemmed from faulty electrical wiring. The ceiling collapsed on him, knocking off his face mask and helmet.
Attempts to revive the 17-year FDNY veteran proved unsuccessful.
Ryan was described by mourners as a man dedicated to service. In 2006, Ryan battled back from a serious burn to his neck that kept him out of work for a year. When he recovered, he began working for Staten Island University Hospital's Burn Unit to raise awareness and funds.
Colleagues said it was no surprise that he came back to the FDNY after the incident, even though he could have easily retired.
"He carried himself with such dignity and he set the bar so high for himself that it's going to be very difficult to realize that he's gone," said FDNY Captain John Graziano. "He expected nothing less from his peers."
Kathleen Ryan, the wife and mother of Ryan's four children, and the firefighter's sister Margaret remembered the departed man as a Mets and Rangers fan. He ran a painting business on the side, loved history and music and loved his family and his job.
"He's my friend, you know. That's part of being a firefighter. It's not just being in the fire house, we were friends," said FDNY Captain Thomas Calkins. "We went away recently to Pittsburgh with our sons to watch the New York Mets play the Pittsburgh Pirates."
Ryan also started a holiday toy drive at the SIUH Burn Center. His colleagues say they will carry on his work at the burn center, taking over the toy drive that he was scheduled to volunteer at next week.
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