Scott J. Croteau
masslive.com
WORCESTER, Mass. — City and state officials, firefighters and the public gathered on Sunday to honor the lives of Worcester firefighters lost in the line of duty and during active duty as the Worcester Fallen Firefighters Memorial at Institute Park was dedicated.
The $4.5 million project, completed after local, state and community partners and the memorial committee worked together, serves as a reminder to the public about those firefighters lost while in service.
The names of 31 firefighters who died in the line of duty along with the names of 38 firefighters who died during active duty were etched into one of several tributes at the memorial.
With the Worcester Fire Department headquarters in the background, officials who spoke during the dedication said it was only fitting to have the memorial within eyeshot of where the city’s firefighters train.
“The entire space truly is a living memorial,” Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. said.
The event Sunday also celebrated the renovation of O’Connell Field, which features a new synthetic field for football, lacrosse and field hockey.
Denise Brotherton, a member of the committee, spoke during the dedication. She read aloud the names of six firefighters who died battling the Dec. 3, 1999, blaze inside the Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. including her husband.
Lt. Thomas Spencer, Lt. Timothy Jackson Sr., Lt. James Lyons III, and firefighters Jeremiah Lucey, Paul Brotherton and Joseph McGuirk were all remembered along with Firefighter Jon Davies Sr., Firefighter Christopher Roy and Lt. Jason Menard.
https://twitter.com/TweetWorcester/status/1452367565687345161
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