Firefighter
Robert McPadden
Engine 23
Memorial Service was
held on September 29, 2001
'Fireman
Bob'
Robert
McPadden liked to be tested. He did not wait to see if he could
withstand challenges — he sought them out. He liked comparing
his personal favorites to the critics' Top 10 lists. He was
so good at "Jeopardy!" that other firefighters thought he was
watching reruns of shows he had seen. He was confident enough
to marry a woman almost as tall as he and as much of an athlete:
when Kate and Bob McPadden played one-on-one basketball, he
won the scrambles, she beat him on the foul line. Could he best
his late father, a New York fire lieutenant? For years, he waited
to be accepted into the department and dreamed of making captain.
Confident, yes; attitude, no: Although Firefighter McPadden,
30, had a master's degree in criminal justice, as a new member
of the crew he happily peeled potatoes, washed dishes and led
schoolchildren around Engine Company 23 in Manhattan, saying:
"Hi! I'm Fireman Bob!" Last summer was truly his championship
season. He hit the tying run that helped Engine Company 38 win
the Bronx title. His young marriage glowed. Kate and he were
a day away from moving to Pearl River, N.Y., near his mother
and siblings. So excited was Firefighter McPadden about life
that he would shout, "We won, Kate, we won!" Profile published
in THE NEW YORK TIMES on January 22, 2002.
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