On Sept. 11 Stephen Siller was driving to meet his three older brothers at the Glenwood Country Club Golf Course in New Jersey, so the "perfect foursome" could play a round of golf. A fire buff even before he joined the Fire Department, the West Brighton native was listening to his scanner when news of the World Trade Center disaster came across. He called his wife, Sally, telling her to let his brothers know he would meet them later; he was going to get his gear and join his company, Squad 1. According to his brother, Frank, his family has pieced together the details of Stephen's final actions. They believe he drove his own car from Squad 1's Brooklyn firehouse to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, where traffic was at a standstill. He probably ran through the tunnel and was picked up by Engine 224, and after arriving at the disaster site most likely hooked up with his squad. Mr. Siller and 10 other members of Squad 1 did not survive. Being a firefighter was the 34-year-old's lifelong dream, one he realized in 1995. After graduating from the Fire Academy, he worked in rotation for three years at Engine Co. 10, Manhattan; Ladder Co. 153, Brooklyn and Engine Co. 153, Staten Island. Mr. Siller lost both of his parents within a year of each other by the time he was 11, and learned early "that time was precious." "He lived life to the hilt," said his brother Russell. "No one could keep up with him." The youngest of seven children, he lived on Long Island with the families of a sister and brother after his parents died. He starred in several drama productions at St. Agnes Cathedral High School, notably "Music Man" and "Our Town" He also became an passionate reader and devoted Mets fan -- this year he bought season tickets. The hero in his favorite book, "A Prayer for Owen Meany," has been described as a heartbreaking character in a comic novel who triumphs over insurmountable odds. The choice is all the more poignant with the death of this courageous man remembered for his laughter. Despite being the youngest, Mr. Siller "held center stage with his six siblings." And he surrounded himself with people, especially his own children, who range in age from 9 years to 9 months, including his youngest son, Stephen, born in January. His 21 nieces and nephews considered him more of a brother than an uncle. He returned to Sunnyside at 19 to work in his brother Frank's business, Staten Island Furriers, and the two eventually became partners. Although successful in business, Mr. Siller pursued his dream of joining the city Fire Department. At the insistence of Kathleen Driscoll, a good friend of both, he went out on a date with Sarah (Sally) Wilson; the two had been neighbors when he lived in West Brighton. It was a memorable date. Her car broke down and they drove home in reverse. She had been reluctant about the date, but they were together from that time on. The couple were married in 1990, and moved to Meiers Corners. A year ago, they bought a home in West Brighton, which they renovated for their large family. And though they hadn't lived there long, "It really feels like home," Mrs. Siller said. Neighbor Eugene (Gene) Spillane describes the brief presence of Steve Siller on the block as like "having an angel on earth." "When I got sick, he was here taking care of the house. We had floods, air conditioning problems, our phone went dead and we came home to a new phone. He shopped every day," said Mr. Spillane, who has been battling a serious illness. "Wherever he went, he took our girls and all his kids," continued the father of four. "If he was having a barbecue and you were on your porch, you were eating good that night. He was a great grillmaster." The excellent golfer also took his new neighbor out on the course, just for some fresh air, after his operation. The devoted husband and father was a parishioner of Sacred Heart R.C. Church, West Brighton, where he was a member of the Youth Activity Council and coached his daughter's fourth-grade CYO basketball team. There seemed to be no end to the energy he had for others. In addition to his wife, Sally, and his brothers, Frank and Russell, also surviving are his two sons Jake and Stephen; his three daughters, Katherine, Olivia, and Genevieve Siller; his brother, George, and his three sisters, Janis Hannan, Mary Scullin, and Regina Vogt. The funeral will be Wednesday from the Harmon Home for Funerals, West Brighton, with a mass at 11 a.m. in Sacred Heart Church. Burial will be in St. Peter's Cemetery, also West Brighton.

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