BOSTON (WHDH) - Thousands of first responders, community members, family, and friends gathered at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston Monday morning for the funeral of Boston firefighter Robert “BK” Kilduff Jr.
Kilduff, a 24-year veteran of the Boston Fire Department, was killed while battling a three-alarm fire in Dorchester on May 23. He died after being rushed by ambulance to Boston Medical Center after a fall from a window amid an intense battle against the blaze.
Kilduff was a third-generation Boston firefighter, with his father and grandfather both serving before him. He was also a Marine Corps veteran. He is remembered by those who knew him as a dedicated father, fiercely supportive of his colleagues at the Boston Fire Department and an advocate for firefighter safety, a loyal Patriots fan and coach of Pop Warner football in West Roxbury. Those that knew him maintained he was an exceptional role model for the next generation.
His two adult children, Mason and Hanna Jane Kilduff, said their father loved his city and his job, but above all, adored his family. They both spoke during his funeral Mass.
“My dad is my hero. He’s the hero everyone says he is, and I’ll miss him forever. He taught us all how to live, and now he taught us all how to die,” Mason said.
“If my dad could share a message with you all today, he would tell you to ‘pull the handle.’ If there is something you’ve been wanting to do, somewhere you’ve been wanting to visit, someone you’ve been meaning to reach out to, make the time. Life is precious, and the cost of regret is too high,” Hanna Jane said.
Boston Firefighter’s Union leaders presented Kilduff’s children with the Martin E. Pierce Commemorative Line-of-Duty Death Medal, the highest honor given to the family of firefighters who make the ultimate sacrifice.
“Losing a firefighter like Bobby Kilduff is devastating because no one embodied or believed in our principals, our cause, or our mission more than he did,” said Sam Dillion, President of the Boston Firefighter’s Union.
Thousands of firefighters and first responders from around the country and beyond stood shoulder to shoulder during a final solemn salute for Kilduff.
“The brother and sisterhood doesn’t really have any borders, the job itself is quite unique and the perils that we face as firefighters are unique to firefighters,” said Ryan Morrison, a Toronto firefighter. “You can’t put borders on that.”
The lengthy funeral procession then took a pause at Kilduff’s home away from home, the Egleston Square Firehouse.
“You are deeply loved, you always will be, and we will carry you with us always. We love you, I love you,” said Jess Spruell, Kilduff’s longtime girlfriend.
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