BOSTON (WHDH) - A wake and a funeral have been set for fallen Boston firefighter Robert “BK” Kilduff Jr., who died in the line of duty Saturday after a fall at a burning home in Dorchester.
Kilduff’s wake will be held at St. Theresa of Avila Parish in West Roxbury on Sunday from 3 to 7 p.m. A funeral will be held at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston on Monday at 10 a.m.
Those who knew Kilduff said his loss will be felt throughout the Boston community. One woman who was on the receiving end of Kilduff’s caring and compassionate nature said she is heartbroken over the tragedy.
“It just broke my heart. I was thinking about his kids, his family,” said Payton Lima. “He loved them more than anything. It broke my heart. It really did.”
Lima said her great-grandfather, Boston firefighter Charles Buchanan, died in the line of duty in 1947. Back then, families got not assistance or recognition – but 75-years later, Kilduff changed that fact.
Kilduff had memorial plaque honoring Buchanan placed on the firehouse, named an engine after him, and gave his daughter a badge of honor.
“I think BK giving her that closure, that recognition she deserved, really made her feel whole again,” Lima said of Buchanan’s daughter.
Now on the same engine that bears Buchanan’s name, firefighters added a patch to honor Kilduff.
“It will forever be there to remind us of what we’re missing, what he was,” said Boston Fire Lt. Gilbert Quinchia.
— Frank Siller from Tunnels to Towers speaks to 7NEWS —
Community members continue to visit Kilduff’s firehouse to drop off notes and flowers. Photos of the fallen firefighter line the walls, showcasing the close bond he had with his colleagues.
On Tuesday, four comfort dogs were also brought to the firehouse from Bridgewater State University, where Kilduff was a reserve police officer, as well as from Bunker Hill Community College and the Plymouth Fire Department to help life spirits.
“You can focus on the dog who has absolute love, no judgment, and they can just focus on that, and for a slight moment, it allows them to deal with that grief while in crisis,” said Bridgewater State University Detective Captain Robert McEvoy.
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