Thomas P. Holohan Eulogy Written by Kathleen
Dowling Caccamo September 28th, 2001
My cousin Tom is from an Irish family. And for
those of you not familiar with a large Irish family, this is a
fairly small one. Tom is one of five siblings, 3 sisters and 1
brother. And he ONLY has about 20 first cousins. When I think
of Tom, I think of a quiet, gentle man, standing in the background,
but quick with a hug and an impish grin. What you should remember
about Tom is that there are three things that everyone should
hold as dear to their hearts as he did: The first is LOVE: Tom's
wife would like you all to know that true love does exist. She
has it with her Tom. Their love is a partnership and her happiness,
his priority. It was often said that Tom looked so incredibly
happy in his wedding photo. It is true, he was. The second is
FAMILY: Tom valued his role as father to his children. He hoped
to raise self-confident children who showed the commitment of
their word through their deeds. He also enjoyed sharing his childhood,
by taking them camping, fishing and hiking at the cabins at Cayuga
Lake. Not exactly Disney World, but experiencing life's simple
pleasures around a campfire with family and friends. After Tom's
father passed away, he proudly stepped up as big brother. He was
there for his mother, each of his sisters and brother. Whether
it was a holiday or a camping trip, he made you all feel welcome,
important and understood. No more so as, when he proudly took
his oldest son to his Brother Sean's college graduation to show
each of them, the importance of family. The third is LOYALTY:
Tom was loyal to the end, whether it was rooting for the Yankees
even in their unsuccessful seasons or just sticking to his word.
He was committed to whatever task he took on. And by far, his
favorite loyalty was to the City of New York as a firefighter.
Where he vowed to save lives and protect property. Where loyalty
is a commitment to a team of guys, who each bring these same values
to every task. Where that loyalty could help a gentle man fulfill
his lifelong dream. And be a hero, everyday! Friday, September
28, 2001 Today, I went to my cousin, Tom Holohan's funeral. He
was a NYC firefighter at Engine Co. 6 and was in the World Trade
Center when it collapsed on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. He was
listed among the missing until Monday, September 24th, when his
body was recovered. I have been to my fair share of fireman's
funerals and I am always touched by the ceremony accorded to the
brave men who make their living saving lives and protecting property.
But the circumstances surrounding funerals today makes them very
different. Today, I went to my Cousin Tom's funeral and as his
coffin was lifted up onto the back of a fire truck, I was profoundly
sad and yet proud. It was followed by another fire truck carrying
the many sprays of flowers that arrived from around the world
mourning his death. Following in line was the limousine that carried
his wife and 6 year old son, his mother, 3 sisters and brother,
and behind the limousine were about 25 cars with extended family
and friends. This alone would have been a touching tribute to
a young man whose life ended too soon. As we drove the long the
five miles to the church the local police had stopped traffic.
Along the route we witnessed many people who may have not known
my cousin Tom, but felt the profound sadness that we were all
feeling that day. So they stopped their cars and got out to stand
in silence. Men removed their caps. The lady walking in the park
on that cool fall morning stopped at the sight of the fire truck
and put her hand over her heart. People came out of their homes
maybe noticing the silence on the street in front of their homes
and stood with their flags. The policeman saluted and the construction
workers stopped working to put their hard hats over their hearts
in salute to our fallen hero. Today, I went to my cousin Tom's
funeral and said goodbye to a friend and realized that a small
town in upstate New York was as profoundly sad and proud to say
goodbye to a hero.
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