Joseph Gullickson, 37, fire lieutenant, devoted
to family - History buff 'always looked out for his men' - By
Frank Williams Advance staff writer Wednesday, 11/07/2001
Sept. 9 was a lot like any other Sunday for Joseph
and Robert Gullickson, a pair of brothers who shared a special
bond made even closer by geography. The brothers, who lived two
doors from one another in West Brighton, met outside that sunny
afternoon by happenstance, chatting briefly about their plans
for the day. "He was just out walking the dog and, as usual, we
were just talking," said Robert. "We had a very, very tight relationship.
We were basically best friends." Joseph, a World War II history
buff who enjoyed reading biographies of generals who fought in
that war, was especially excited about watching "Band of Brothers,"
which premiered that night on HBO. But Robert never found out
what his younger brother thought of the show, because less than
48 hours later Joseph, a 37-year-old Fire Department lieutenant
at Ladder Co. 101 in Red Hook, Brooklyn, led his firefighters
to the inferno raging at the World Trade Center. He is one of
seven members of his house who remain missing. "Joe was an exceptional
officer, always learning, always teaching and, above all, always
looking out for his men," said Capt. Tom Giordano of Ladder 101.
"This was a man dedicated to his job and totally devoted to his
family," he added. "My prayers go out to his family, especially
his lovely wife, Naoemi, and his children, Amanda and Isabel.
I am proud to call Joe a brother, a hero, a friend." Mr. Gullickson,
who would have celebrated his fifth wedding anniversary on Sept.
28, was enamored of his young and growing family. "We were a special
couple and he absolutely adored his children," said his wife,
the former Naoemi Perez. "Joe was a loving and protective family
man. He was big in stature and spirit. He had a big laugh and
a very gentle disposition." Mr. Gullickson loved taking his daughters
-- Amanda, 3, and Isabel, 1 -- on outings to the Staten Island
Zoo and Clove Lakes Park, and he was especially proud accompanying
Amanda to pre-school. "He was very proud of his daughters, right
from the start," his brother said. "He was excited about getting
involved in their lives. Even after a long day at work, he would
always find time to push Isabel down the street in her stroller
while Amanda rode next to him on her scooter or bicycle." Born
in Westerleigh and brought to Todt Hill as a child, Mr. Gullickson
settled in West Brighton in 1995. "Joe was like sunshine on a
cloudy day," said his mother, Patricia. "Most of all, I'll remember
how he was always there with that radiant smile and great laugh.
I'll miss him dearly." Mr. Gullickson loved dogs, especially Lucy,
his Rottweiler, who was bred from a dog owned by his father, Robert.
He also was a big fan of the TV classic "The Honeymooners" and
enjoyed listening to popular music. The Grateful Dead and Frank
Sinatra were among his favorites. "Joe had a great love of American
popular standard music," said his longtime firefighter friend,
Zeke Quin of West Brighton. "We would sit and listen to everything
from Frank Sinatra to Merle Haggard, while trading one-liners
from 'The Honeymooners.' I'll miss him." A graduate of Moore Catholic
High School, Mr. Gullickson was a patrolman with the city Police
Department assigned to the 68th Precinct in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn,
for three years before joining the Fire Department in 1988. He
began his firefighting career at Engine Co. 243 in Brooklyn. In
1995, he was promoted to lieutenant and assigned to Ladder 101.
"Joe came to Engine 243 as a probationary firefighter who was
eager to learn, respectful and polite," said Vincent Masucci,
a retired lieutenant who knew Mr. Gullickson at the beginning
of his career. "I took an immediate liking to him. He stood out
and was a very likable guy." Mr. Gullickson's brother, Robert,
an engineer who works in SoHo and saw the Twin Towers collapse
from an office window, made his way to the World Trade Center
on the morning of Sept. 11, figuring his brother was at the site.
Robert was later joined by his youngest brother, Ralph. The two
stayed at the command center until 2 a.m., waiting for word about
Joseph. Robert, Ralph and another brother, Thomas, spent the next
nine days digging through the rubble, searching for Joseph or
anyone else who might still be alive. "We truly believed it was
a rescue operation at that point," said Robert. Mr. Gullickson
and Ralph also ran Richmond Lawn Sprinklers, a business their
father started nearly two decades ago. The family has installed
underground and automatic sprinklers in Gracie Mansion and the
Museum of Natural History in Manhattan. He was a parishioner of
Blessed Sacrament R.C. Church, West Brighton, and enjoyed playing
basketball as a member of the FDNY league. In addition to his
wife, Naoemi; his daughters, Amanda and Isabel; his parents, Patricia
and Robert; and his brothers, Robert, Thomas and Ralph, survivors
include his sister, Patricia Byrne, and his grandmother, Mary
Reilly. A memorial mass is scheduled for Saturday at 10:30 a.m.
in Blessed Sacrament Church.
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