By FireRescue1 Staff
NEW YORK — A father and son that were both responders during the 9/11 attacks died less than a year apart of cancer.
The Washington Post reported that in November 2016 Raymond Alexander, 76, died after battling seven different types of cancer linked to his service during 9/11. His son Robert, 43, died Monday of brain cancer also related to the attacks, less than a year later.
Their deaths mark the first time that the aftermath of 9/11 “has claimed the lives of two generations in a single family,” Uniformed Firefighters Association President Gerard Fitzgerald said.
Raymond, an FDNY firefighter, and Robert, an NYPD officer and former EMT, both searched through the rubble for days after the attacks. Months later, Robert followed in his father’s and his grandfather’s footsteps and joined the New York Fire Department.
“They’re the type of people that are just going to see something wrong and walk into it,” Robert’s cousin, Lori LaPonte ,said. “Because they’re protecting everyone behind them.”
While battling cancer, Robert actively campaigned for the renewal of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. The legislation covers medical costs for those impacted by the toxins during 9/11 and was named after a detective who died of respiratory issues connected to 9/11.
“I would do it again,” Robert said in 2015 about his service. “If you didn’t want to do the job, you wouldn’t become a cop or a firefighter in New York City. I’m proud of being a firefighter now more than ever.”