Practiced
What He Preached
Melissa
DiPasquale has told enough stories about her firefighter husband, cried enough
tears before strangers. Now, she wants peace and privacy. Another article about
George DiPasquale? His wife begs a reporter to use what has already been said
about him in his local newspaper, The Staten Island Advance:
His
nickname at Ladder Company 2 in Manhattan was Holy Man, more respectful than
many in the rough-and-tumble world of a firehouse. The 33-year-old firefighter,
one of 10 from the company who raced to duty at 9:09 a.m. on Sept. 11 and never
returned, was known for his faith.
Mr.
DiPasquale, an imposing 6-foot-5, was an elder at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's
Witnesses in the Mariners Harbor neighborhood, and shared his thoughts on religion
and hope with his colleagues. He was a man who "practiced what he preached,"
said his father-in-law, Michael Mattei. "What he said, he meant."
Mr.
DiPasquale and his wife celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary in Cape May,
N.J., just days before the attack. "A perfect weekend," Mrs. DiPasquale
said. The couple have a daughter, Georgia Rose, who is 22 months old.
Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on November 28, 2001.
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