By Susana Enriquez
Newsday (New York)
Copyright 2006 Newsday, Inc.
A sea of blue uniforms filled the streets by St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Islip yesterday as thousands of firefighters from as far as Texas lined up under stormy skies to salute their fallen brother, Lt. Howard Carpluk Jr.
As the coffin of Carpluk, a 20-year veteran of the New York City Fire Department, made its way to the church, firefighters stood quietly at attention. The only sounds were that of bagpipes and high winds rustling through leaves.
In a service laden with tears, laughter and applause, the 43-year-old father of two from Yaphank was remembered as a mentor who was devoted to his marriage, his family, his job and his friends and who lived his life to the fullest.
“There was no containing Howie to one aspect of his life,” said his wife, Debra, during the service. “He had to do it all.”
Debra, who met Carpluk when he was 17, said he was an unbelievable partner and father.
“I told our children I could never fill his shoes, but I’ll try,” she said, referring to their son Bradley, 14, and daughter Paige, 10.
Overwhelmed by the love and support she has received, Debra said she hadn’t known how much her husband had embraced the people in his life.
“Please, I’d love to hear as many Howie stories as I can,” she said. “May our memories help us all.”
Lt. Steve Wall, a member of Engine 42 for 14 years, shared his memories of Carpluk, who joined the Bronx firehouse in 2002.
Wall, who was often on the receiving end of his comrade’s practical jokes, spoke of the time his bunk was filled with cornstarch and when mop water rained on him from a second-floor window.
Then there was the time he woke up at 3 a.m. and was putting on his gloves before responding to a call, when he noticed his fingernails had been painted a “startling scarlet.”
“A joke, practical or otherwise, goes a long way to release tension,” Wall said. “We will miss him dearly.”
Carpluk died Monday morning at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx from injuries he suffered in a Sunday fire at a discount store. He was buried at Pinelawn Memorial Park in Pinelawn.
Less than two hours after the fire, firefighter Michael Reilly, of Engine 75 in the Bronx, who was also trapped in the blaze, died of a heart attack. He was laid to rest Friday in Ramsey, N.J. His parents attended Carpluk’s funeral.
Don and Diane Guida, neighbors of the Carpluk family for 15 years, said the neighborhood won’t be the same.
“There’s nobody in the world like him,” Diane Guida said. “He was the core of our neighborhood.”
Don Guida said he would miss the man who helped him build his dormer and taught his son how to swim.
“He was the kind of guy who would take his shirt, shoes and pants off for you,” he said. “His refrigerator always had a beer for the neighbor.”
In his eulogy, Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta said Carpluk was a vital bridge between the older and younger generations.
“Those probies were lucky to have him,” he said. “A great quality in a leader is putting others first. That’s what Howie did.”
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the department has only been able to rebuild following the loss of 343 firefighters on 9/11 because of firefighters like Carpluk.
“It wasn’t just bravery that made Howie a great firefighter,” he said. “It was instincts. It was the years of experience.”
Bloomberg said he was told by those who were with Carpluk at the fire that in the last moments of his life, he was strong, alert and focused on battling the blaze.
“He was having the time of his life,” he said. “Until the end, he was teaching, instructing, giving.”
Excerpts from remarks at funeral of Lt. Howard Carpluk Jr.
“There was no containing Howie to one aspect of his life. He had to do it all.” - Debra Carpluk, his wife
“A great quality in a leader is putting others first. That’s what Howie did.” - Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta
“There’s nobody in the world like him. He was the core of our neighborhood.” - Diane Guida, neighbor