Kenneth Kumpel October 2, 2001 He Was Always
a Firefighter at Heart
Kenneth Kumpel was a New York City police officer
for four years before changing careers. He was assigned to a precinct
that covered Chinatown and, later, Manhattan's infamous "Alphabet
City," said his wife, Nancy Kumpel. But "he was always a firefighter
at heart," she said. Kumpel, 42, was a 10-year veteran of the
New York Fire Department who was part of Engine Co. 25 in Manhattan.
A former Long Islander, Kumpel grew up in New Hyde Park and graduated
from Sewanhaka High School. He and his wife of 18 years lived
in Cornwall, where he was a member of the Cornwall Volunteer Fire
Department, said Nancy Kumpel. "He loved the camaraderie of it.
He lived firefighting every moment of the day," she said. He is
also survived by his sons, Greg, 11 and Carl, 9. -- Bill Kaufman
(Newsday)
Kenneth Kumpel, a firefighter with the New York
Fire Department, was aprankster and a craftsman. He built the
family’s home in Cornwall after renovating theirformer home in
West Brighton. As a practical joke, he once switched the handles
and hinges ona firehouse refrigerator so it opened from the opposite
side. At a memorial Mass, an FDNYmarine unit fireboat sprayed
plumes of water, making rainbows in the air. The display honoredKumpel’s
love of the Hudson River and the family’s boat, which was christened
the Batboat.
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