Life of local
hero celebrated
Somers man died during rescue efforts at Twin
Towers
by Rick Pezzullo
Like many kids, Joseph P. Spor
Jr. wanted to be a fireman when he grew up.
He wanted to be like his father,
Joseph P. Spor, who was a firefighter.
“Being a firefighter was in his
blood and he wanted to follow his (father’s) footsteps,” said Mike Griffin, a
close friend of Spor Jr.
“That’s all he ever wanted to
do,” Griffin said. “One of the happiest days of his life was when he became a
firefighter.”
A 1984 graduate of Somers High
School, Spor Jr. became a firefighter with Ladder Company 38 in the Bronx in
1994.
Two months ago, he was
transferred to the Rescue 3 unit of the New York City Fire Department.
On September 11, his unit was
sent to the World Trade Center to assist in the evacuation of the Twin Towers,
specifically the south tower which was the second building targeted by the
terrorists.
Spor Jr., 35, was one of more
than 340 firefighters who died trying to save others when the towers
collapsed.
His full life was celebrated
Saturday at a Memorial Mass at St. Patrick’s Church in Yorktown that was
attended by hundreds of area and New York City firefighters, friends, family and
others who simply wanted to pay their respects to a local hero.
“Joe, like so many men and women, is a
hero,” Reverend Tom Keily said during his homily to an overflowing crowd at St.
Patrick’s Church.
Keily
said Spor Jr. carried “the light of Christ” throughout his life with his ever
present smile, his talents as a carpenter and his love for his wife Colleen and
his four young children, ages six to nine months old.
“Then there was that day, only
four weeks ago, when that light shown so bright when he and hundreds of other
firefighters walked into a burning building,” Keily said. “That building was not
burning from a jet, it was a heavenly fire. That was the day Joe’s light burnt
the brightest when he was here.”
“Joe is a true Christian model
of what a Christian man should be,” Keily continued. “Joe gave the greatest love
he could give. He laid his life down for all his friends—for mankind.”
Standing next to the altar that
had a framed picture of Spor Jr. with his firefighter’s helmet and uniform and
an American flag, Keily asked the crowd to give Spor a round of applause.
The crowd responded with a
thunderous standing ovation that lasted for several minutes.
Spor’s wife and father were
later presented with his helmet, uniform and the flag.
“Joe will always be in our
hearts and in our thoughts. His spirit will be a part of our lives,” the Spor
and Casey families said in a prepared statement.
“We know there are hard times
ahead, but we pray God will instill upon us the courage and strength that Joe
and his fellow brothers showed when they were called to duty,” the families
stated. “Our special heroes will always remind us that we, too, can make a
difference.”
Joe Kokasko, a firefighter with
Engine 88, said during the eulogy that Spor was known at the firehouse by the
nickname “Lounge Lizard” since he loved to sing and “Pillow Arms” for his love
of weightlifting.
“Joe, like his father, was best
known for being a great firefighter,” Kokasko said. “He always did his job with
a smile on his face. His smile and singing voice were contagious and he had a
way of lifting everyone’s spirits.”
Griffin talked about Spor’s
enjoyment of golf and his way of taking everything in stride.
“Joe just enjoyed life and he
never got mad at anyone. He always looked on the positive things of life,”
Griffin said. “He never had any fear of fighting fires. He was more than happy
to help anyone who asked.”
“Joe was the gentle giant with a
huge heart,” Griffin added. “I will never know a better man. He is a true hero
and I will never forget him.”