WORCESTER, MASS. (WHDH) - A new memorial honors the nearly 70 firefighters who have died while serving the city of Worcester, giving their families a bittersweet tribute to lost loved ones.
The Fallen Firefighters Memorial at Institute Park features large granite slabs with the 69 names of firefighters who died while serving the city or in the line of duty, including the six firefighters who died in the Cold Storage and Warehouse fire in 1999.
“What’s wonderful about today is that there is a permanent, a forever place that you can come, and the community at large, and see their names, touch them, understand what that story is…that’s a beautiful gift,” said Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito.
“This memorial is a testament to a quote that’s on the Worcester 6 memorial, that our fallen heroes will never be forgotten,” said Worcester mayor Joseph Petty.
For Karen Ricardi, whose firefighter father died in 1971, the memorial has been a long time coming.
“This is the first memorial that we know of that his name is etched in … My mom went to her grave hoping for something like this, and we fought for it long before she died, and I know they’re with us today looking down on us,” Ricardi said. “To me, it’s going to be a place of reflection and solace.”
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