Jeffrey
Giordano, 45, decorated FDNY hero Athlete and devoted father lived
a life that focused on helping and inspiring others Date of Death
9/11/2001 By Mike Azzara Advance staff writer Sunday, 10/07/2001
Three words that characterize the life of Jeffrey Giordano, 45,
of Tottenville, are "compassion in action." Jeff, as he was known,
was committed to excellence in everything he did. His great physical
and mental strength helped make him a man with strong moral and
ethical convictions. When someone would say, "That's good enough,"
said his wife, the former Marie Scotto, "Jeff's response would
be, 'That's the problem with the world -- people think it's OK
to accept less than perfect.' " Mr. Giordano, a firefighter with
Ladder Co. 3 in Lower Manhattan, has been missing since the collapse
of the World Trade Center Sept. 11. That morning, he called his
wife at 6:30 from the firehouse to tell her to awaken the children
so they could watch him on television. "I'm going to be on TV
with Larry Hoff in a fund-raising promotion benefiting the Firefighters
Burn Center Foundation and the Widows and Orphans Fund," he told
her. He was an officer of the foundation. "It was as if he knew
it would be the last time they would see their father alive,"
Mrs. Giordano said. Shortly after 9 a.m., he called to say he
was on his way to the World Trade Center. Mrs. Giordano said she
"could feel the adrenaline flowing as he spoke." Since Ladder
Co. 3 is downtown, it was one of the first units to respond. "When
the towers collapsed," Mrs. Giordano said, "I knew he was in one
of them." Mr. Giordano, who joined the Fire Department in 1987,
was assigned to Ladder Co. 3 from the start. His fellow firefighters
became an important part of his life. "Jeff is treasured in the
memory of those who knew him as a 'brother,' a fireman whose professional
joy was to be among his fellow firefighters," Mrs. Giordano said.
"In spite of his singular bravery, it was his habit to give the
credit to others." In an interview in the spring, he told the
Daily News: "We just pull them out. It's the doctors and nurses
who save their lives." Mr. Giordano was a highly decorated firefighter.
Among his many honors and citations was the Albert Johnson Award
for saving two people trapped in a blazing building. The Life
Saving Benevolent Society honored Mr. Giordano for diving into
the East River to save a drowning man. In March, he received the
Hero of the Month Award given by the Daily News for saving the
life of a 21-year-old woman he found unconscious in a burning
apartment. He was recognized for bravery and citizenship by the
Fire Department Honor Legion, the American Legion and the City
Council. He wore a chest full of medals on his dress uniform.
While living in Westchester County, he was a member of the South
Salem Volunteer Fire Department, where his helmet was retired
last week at a memorial service. Mr. Giordano, a native of Brooklyn,
moved to Staten Island four years ago. A man of powerful focus
and endurance, Mr. Giordano participated in more than 15 marathons.
He ran daily and logged more than 50,000 miles. Mrs. Giordano
said many people, learning he was missing in the World Trade Center
collapse, have contacted her with stories of how he inspired them
to achieve more in their lives. He was vice president and a member
of the board of the New York Firefighters Burn Center Foundation.
He was dedicated to raising funds for the New York Presbyterian
Burn Center. Mr. Giordano was a devoted husband and father who
took his children everywhere. "It was important to him that they
be involved in the community," Mrs. Giordano said. He was the
soccer coach for the Intrepids, the team his son, Nicholas, played
on. Mr. and Mrs. Giordano were childhood sweethearts who celebrated
their 21st wedding anniversary in August. "Life is empty without
him but I am thankful he has given me three beautiful children,
the greatest gift in the world," Mrs. Giordano said. "I will always
feel his presence for when I look at his gift, I will always see
him. "Oh, how I miss him and love him." Surviving, in addition
to his wife, Marie, and his son, Nicholas, are two daughters,
Victoria and Alexandra; his mother, Jessie, and a sister, Debbie
Caputo. His brother, Chris, died three years ago. A memorial mass
will be offered Saturday in Our Lady Help of Christians R.C. Church,
Tottenville. The Bedell-Pizzo Funeral Home, Tottenville, is handling
the arrangements.
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