Robert William McPadden, Firefighter Followed in Father's Footsteps April 12, 2002

Earning a graduate degree in criminal justice, Robert McPadden could have almost immediately become a New York City police officer but -- in honor of his late father, who was a New York City firefighter -- he preferred to wait until there was a civil service opening to become a firefighter. After several years, the opportunity came, and McPadden joined the ranks of firefighters about two years ago and was assigned to Engine Co. 23 on West 58th Street. His father, Michael McPadden, was a lieutenant and served in the fire department for almost 40 years. "My husband's unit was among the first to arrive," said McPadden's wife, Kate. "They were caught when the south tower collapsed." McPadden's remains were identified recently. She said her husband "always was interested in public service," noting that it was a family tradition. In addition to his father, an uncle was a New York City firefighter, his sister, Annmarie Walker, is a police officer in Ramapo, N.Y., and his brother, Michael, is a police officer in Orangeburg, N.Y. "Robert absolutely loved being a firefighter," she said. The couple, who would have been married three years on Oct. 11, had just bought a home in Pearl River, N.Y. "He had a great, hearty laugh, and we always had such a wonderful time together," his wife recalled. "He was very smart, not so much in a book sense but in terms of being savvy and sharp." McPadden, 30, received his undergraduate degree in history from St. Thomas Aquinas College in Sparkhill, N.Y., and his graduate degree from Iona College in New Rochelle. In addition to his wife, McPadden is survived by his mother, Judy, of Pearl River, N.Y.; three sisters, Annmarie Walker and Elizabeth Burnham, both of Goshen, N.Y., and Cathy McPadden of Pearl River, and a brother, Michael, of Nanuet, N.Y. --Bill Kaufman (Newsday)

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