Pioneer Press Newspapers
OAK PARK, Ill. — An Oak Park firefighter died Monday night just hours after finishing his shift, village officials say.
Firefighter Kenneth K. Harris, 56, was found dead in his Berwyn home the evening of Jan. 11, according to Oak Park spokesman David Powers and Deputy Fire Chief Peter Pilafas.
Harris was a 28-year veteran of the Oak Park Fire Department, Powers said.
Pilafas recalled meeting Harris during his first day on the job.
“He was hired before me,” Pilafas said. “When I was a new recruit, I started on the same shift as Ken. He provided me some mentoring. He was a big asset to the department and the village of Oak Park for the services he provided the community.”
According to Pilafas, Harris had just worked a 24-hour shift, ending the morning of Jan. 11. Afterward, Harris put in another six hours of fire prevention work, Pilafas said.
“I actually saw him on Jan. 11 in the morning,” Pilafas said. “He just got off a shift. He seemed perfectly fine.”
With the department still coming to grips with the loss of its colleague, Pilafas recalled only positive memories of his late friend.
“He was a hard worker who was a fireman’s fireman,” Pilafas said. “He truly understood the commitment of the job, loved being a firefighter, loved the Oak Park Fire Department and loved serving the village of Oak Park.”
Pilafas said Harris leaves behind a wife, five children and three grandchildren.
“What’s going to be missed is he always put a smile on your face even when you had a bad day,” Pilafas said. “He’s not replaceable. He will be sorely missed.”
An autopsy is scheduled to determine a cause of death.
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