By Jeff Horvath
The Times-Tribune
TAYLOR BOROUGH, Pa. — Derek Ruthkosky felt at home in the Taylor Borough Fire & Rescue fire hall, where his fellow volunteer firefighters considered him a brother.
It was there that Mr. Ruthkosky spent time after school, joking with his buddies while stoking his dream of one day becoming a Scranton city firefighter, like his late grandfather and role model, Joseph Hill.
Mr. Ruthkosky’s absence was felt in the fire hall Thursday, one day after an honor guard of Taylor firefighters took part in his funeral, and six days after he took his own life at the age of 19. Lackawanna County Coroner Tim Rowland ruled the death a suicide.
“We still can’t believe that we’re not going to see him walk through that door,” said Taylor Assistant Fire Chief Wes Jones. “Derek was one of the best kids I know. He wasn’t just a fireman here, he was a friend to everyone. He had a contagious smile. We always had fun with Derek.”
His mother, Debbie Hill Dombroski, and stepfather, Scranton police officer Joe Dombroski, reflected on the short but meaningful life of their son Thursday. They were shocked by his suicide, saying he displayed no outward signs of suffering.
“He was happy. He was smiling all the time,” Mr. Dombroski said, noting that his stepson, who was studying HVAC technology at Johnson College, loved country music, cars and trucks, firefighting and his 12-year-old brother, Jacob. “He’d take Jake down to the firehouse with him. He’d give him rides in the car. Every night when he came in, he would give (Jake) a hug.”
Mrs. Dombroski said her son was “the sweetest, kindest boy.”
They now hope their son’s death raises awareness and helps shed the stigma of suicide. They hope it encourages others to take the potentially lifesaving step of reaching out for help.
“I think sometimes younger people have a problem reaching out to us older people and they don’t realize we’ve been there,” Mr. Dombroski said. “We’ve faced those problems. We’ve felt the same emotions they have. The problems of a 19-year-old is a crisis to them at that point, but a year from now it wouldn’t be.”
Mr. Ruthkosky’s obituary candidly noted that he took his own life. The detail was included intentionally.
“I think that if you can save one person it would be worth it,” Mrs. Dombroski said about the obituary. “I want people to know that suicide happens a lot more than people realize.”
Her husband agreed.
“Derek, for some reason, chose to keep it inside. He didn’t show any outward signs,” he said. “You really have to not be afraid. ... You have to remove that (stigma) and talk about it. Bring it into the light.”
As the family begins the healing process, they’ve found strength in the support of Mr. Ruthkosky’s friends at the Taylor Borough Fire & Rescue, who escorted Mr. Ruthkosky’s funeral procession to Steamtown Church on Wednesday.
Mr. Ruthkosky’s fire helmet, emblazoned with the number 95 of Taylor’s Engine 95, now sits in his bedroom at the Dombroskis’ Scranton home. A gift from the department, the helmet symbolizes the brotherhood they shared with the deceased.
It’s a brotherhood that Jake soon hopes to join. He plans to become a Taylor volunteer firefighter in a few years, following in the footsteps of the brother he loved and looked up to.
Copyright 2016 The Times-Tribune