Battalion Chief Dennis Cross
Battalion 57

Laid to Rest
on September 22, 2001

Battalion Chief Dennis Cross, 60, was nicknamed "Captain Fearless." This Vietnam veteran spent 37 years on the FDNY and, according to his wife of 37 years, JoAnn, he had no intention of retiring. He skied, ran, biked, and lifted weights to stay fit despite his advancing years. His hope, she said, was to spend 50 years with the FDNY. He also avoided further promotions which likely would mean more time behind a desk and less time extinguishing fires. His favorite saying was "Take care of men, and men will take care of you." Some 3,000 people attended the funeral of Cross, the son of an FDNY member who died of a heart attack while fighting a fire when Dennis was 13. Battalion Chief Cross leaves behind his widow, daughters Lisa Wylie, 34, Laura Sheppard, 32, Denise, 28 and a son, Brian, a 29-year-old New York City fireman.

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