Whelan, Eugene

Eugene Whelan, Eng.230 Firefighter Fire Department City of New York New York Age: 31 Year of Death: 2001 Eugene was the ninth of ten children. He was determined to be a firefighter from the time he was 10 years old. He accomplished his dream in October of 1995 and loved every minute he spent on the job. His captain once said that Eugene was the king of fun but when the alarm sounded he was the consummate professional. So typical of many firefighters‚ Eugene loved life and loved people‚ especially children. He would spend hours with his nieces and nephews at family gatherings. And at the station house‚ kids from the neighborhood would bring their bicycles to him for repair. With his family and friends he was called The Hugger. If you put your hand out to shake his he would bypass that and give you a bear hug. Eugene’s big heart brought him to the twin towers and that’s where he died serving others. – Alfred Whelan