Joseph
D. Farrelly Fireman Nurtured Kids, Kept Romance Alive February 8, 2002
He seemed like a man who knew life was precious. His work as a firefighter let
him see upfront the tenuous link between life and death. Perhaps that's why
Capt. Joseph Farrelly, 47, left behind such a legacy of love. Children at Public
School 3 in Staten Island knew him as "Fireman Joe," who came to their school
to teach them about fire safety. Dozens of foster babies, drug-addicted at birth,
felt his kind touch and reassuring words. His wife, Stacey, has boxfuls of romantic
notes and cards to remind her of his love for her and the children, sent through
their 25 years together. Stacey Farrelly said her husband left her love notes
and roses throughout their marriage, and not just on Valentine's Day or their
anniversary. She would find these missives, filled with his heartfelt thoughts,
on a sticky note on the dashboard of her car or on the back of a receipt on
the kitchen table in their Staten Island home. Stacey found what was to be the
last love note when she got home Sept.11, a final testament to their life together.
Farrelly, who was with Engine Co. 4 on South Street in Manhattan, was believed
to be in a tower lobby when the building collapsed. Farrelly's body has not
been found. A memorial service was held Oct. 15. His love for his children was
evident in the time he spent with them, either at Little League games, the Boy
Scouts or at home. His oldest son, Ryan, 20, said his father was an easygoing
man. "Never argued, never cursed, never got angry," he said. Ryan's childhood
memories include camping trips with his parents, his brother Devin, 18, and
their sister Julianne, 11, where they were taught to live in harmony with nature.
"He liked to go anyplace where it was relaxed," said Ryan. Farrelly and his
wife also were foster parents to many drug-addicted babies over the years. In
1986, his wife said, she and her husband were watching a TV show on "border"
babies who were addicted to drugs and needed stable environments. "I turned
to Joe and said, 'We can do that. We can take a baby.'" For the next seven years,
the Farrellys took in newborns and nursed them through their addictions, returning
them after six months to foster or adoptive parents. Stacey Farrelly said her
husband loved the babies. "He used to like doing the nighttimes," his wife said.
"He would talk to them and tell them not to worry, that they would have a good
life." -- Stacey Altherr (Newsday) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Firefighter Left Love Notes For Wife Nov. 29, 2001 "I can't begin to tell you
how much I love you. Words are inadequate," Joseph D. Farrelly wrote on Sept.
10 before embarking on a 24-hour shift. That would be the last of many love
notes the 47-year-old Staten Island man would write to his wife, Stacey, before
leaving for work as a New York City firefighter at Engine Co. 4 at the South
Street Seaport. His family believes his company was one of the first to respond
to the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. He never came home. Surviving in addition
to his wife are two sons, Ryan and Devin; a daughter, Juliann; his parents,
Joseph and Theresa, and three brothers, Dennis, Patrick and Michael. --Compiled
by Newsday ******* Capt. Joseph Farrelly was romantic -— and proudof it. Married
to Stacey Farrelly for more than 22 years, he still left love notes on her pillow
oron the seat of her car. Often, they were accompanied by flowers. So before
Farrelly went to work for what would be the last time, he wrote Stacey one finalnote.
“I can’t begin to tell you how much I love you. Words are inadequate. Already
I can’t wait toget home,” he wrote. Farrelly, 47, of New York, is among 343
firefighters lost in the World Trade Center attacks. A 22-year veteran of the
department, Farrelly had faced danger at the World Trade Centerbefore, hospitalized
for smoke inhalation after it was bombed in 1993. But he loved his job. “That’s
all he ever wanted to do,” Stacey Farrelly said. As for the frequent love notes,
“I kind of thought everybody did this,” she said. She’s kept them all. The last
note he wrote is now framed in their home. --The Associated Press
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