Respected Member Of The Department
27East.com 8/19/09
Eastport resident Paul Warhola, a Fire Department of New York firefighter and a first responder to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, died of an apparent stroke on Friday, August 14.
“This is a terrible tragedy for the FDNY and the entire City of New York,” Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta, who was expected to attend Mr. Warhola’s funeral in Center Moriches on Wednesday alongside thousands of New York firefighters, said in a prepared statement. “He will be sorely missed. Our hearts go out to his family.”
Funeral services were to be held at St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church in Center Moriches on Wednesday at noon. Suffolk County Police closed Montauk Highway from East Moriches to Center Moriches for most of the day to accommodate the expected large turnout.
Mr. Warhola, a 15-year veteran of Engine Company 221, was a driver for the company, driving a fire truck to emergency sites and operating water pumps. While responding to a fire alarm in Brooklyn last Wednesday, August 12, Mr. Warhola, who was 47, became dizzy and had difficulty breathing, fire officials said. He was transported to Bellevue Hospital Center in Brooklyn and died on Friday morning, officials said.
Engine Company 221 Captain Brian Johnston remembered Mr. Warhola as an avid fisherman who brought freshly caught fish to the firehouse to share with other firefighters. “It wasn’t uncommon that Pauly would walk in with a fresh fish,” Captain Johnston said.
Mr. Warhola was also a respected firefighter, the captain noted. When the fire company responded to a store fire in Brooklyn earlier this year, Mr. Warhola “carried himself with confidence” and helped bring the fire under control, Captain Johnston said.
“We pulled up and I thought, ‘Alright, this is going to be a hot one,’” Captain Johnston said. “Before we knew it, Pauly was ready to give us water.
“Pauly was a true leader in the firehouse,” Captain Johnston continued. “He was really looked up to by everyone in the house.”
On September 11, 2001, Mr. Warhola arrived on the scene just as the one of the World Trade Center towers collapsed, according to Mr. Warhola’s former brother-in-law, James Lopez. Mr. Lopez noted that Mr. Warhola was stricken by the tragedy and did not talk with friends about what he saw that day.
“It didn’t have a good effect on him,” Mr. Lopez said. “It took him a while to get back to his normal self. He was just really bothered by what he saw.”
When he wasn’t fighting fires in Brooklyn, Mr. Warhola was either fishing or spending time with his family, friends said.
David Vidal, a Mastic resident and former neighbor of Mr. Warhola, said Mr. Warhola “was fine after 9/11—probably healthier than me.”
“He would give his shirt off his back for you,” Mr. Vidal said. “His love was fishing and the beach. He loved the water. Whenever he had a chance and wasn’t working, he was out on the water with his kids and wife.”
Susan Alpert, an East Moriches resident and family friend, said Mr. Warhola was “a gentle soul” who was seemingly in good health. She was taken aback by the news of Mr. Warhola’s death. “I am in shock,” she said. “How could this happen when you’re 47?”
Mr. Warhola is survived by his wife, Arleen Warhola, his son, Paul, 15, and his daughter, Tiana, 13. He is also survived by his mother, Mary Warhola; his sisters, Tricia, Shelly, Kerry and MaryLou; and his brother Stephen
Fran Franco, a Queens resident and family friend, said Mr. Warhola grew up in Middle Village Queens, where he met his wife in 1983.
Mr. Warhola was “deeply in love” with his wife, whom he married 15 years ago during a ceremony in Hawaii, Ms. Franco said.
“She was the love of his life,” Ms. Franco said. “She said she doesn’t know how she is never going to see him again.”
Judy OBraitis, a Manorville resident whose daughter, Tara, 13, played soccer alongside Mr. Warhola’s daughter, Tiana, in the Eastport South Manor School District, said Mr. Warhola frequented their soccer games and had long conversations with his wife over the phone.
“You could hear the love between them when they talked over the phone,” Ms. OBraitis said.
The Warholas were strong of faith, said Ms. Franco, who initially met the family at Christ the Redeemer Church in Mastic. She said the Warholas were the model of a happy family.
“That is what makes it such a tragedy, because it’s so rare to have a family that is just so happy,” Ms. Franco said.
Pastor Charlie Young from the Eastport Bible Church said that Mr. Warhola’s children regularly attended programs at the church.
“I know the thing that Paul would want is just that people are taking care of his family, and I know he would just be so pleased with what’s been happening,” Pastor Young said. “The focus just needs to be on them.”
In lieu of flowers, family and friends were asked to send donations to the Uniformed Firefighter’s Association, 204 East 23rd Street, New York, New York 10010, C/O the UFA Widows’ and Children’s Fund. Make checks payable to the Thomas R. Elsasser Fund.
Rohma Abbas contributed to this story
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