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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