NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- Family, friends and first responders said their final farewells to fallen FDNY firefighter Timothy Klein at his funeral in Queens on Friday.
The funeral was held at the Church of Saint Francis DeSales on Rockaway Beach Boulevard in Belle Harbor.
The church, a block from the water’s edge, was adorned with flowers inside and out on Friday morning for Klein, who was known as Timmy by just about everyone.
Among those at the funeral were Klein’s parents, three sisters and girlfriend, as well as members of his FDNY family from Ladder Company 170 and across the city. Mayor Eric Adams and acting FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh were also in attendance.
First responders from across the country and from as far away as Canada and Europe had also been expected.
“He died fighting a three-alarm fire on Sunday,” Adams told mourners at the church. “He didn’t make it home. He’s home now.”
“We will never forget Tim’s bravery,” the mayor said. “We will never forget his sacrifice. And we will never forget the bravery of the FDNY who was there that day in Canarsie.”
Adams said several firefighters who were injured in Sunday’s fire came from the hospital to the funeral to “to say goodbye to their brother.”
His mother, Dee Dee, told mourners that her son loved his job.
"Getting called for the New York City Fire Department was one of Tim's happiest days," she said. "He loved everything about becoming a firefighter."
Vincent Geary, Klein's childhood friend and colleague, said Klein was "a prime example of everything a firefighter should be, respected by his peers, his bosses and everyone who knew him."
He said he was a better person because Klein was in his life.
"I will miss looking across from you in the truck and asking for quick advice on the way to a fire," he added.
Five hundred mourners were inside the church and thousands more lined Rockaway Beach Boulevard in a tribute to Klein, who became the 1,557th FDNY firefighter to die in the line of duty.
The six-year FDNY veteran, who grew up in nearby Breezy Point, was killed Sunday battling a house fire in Brooklyn. The second floor of the burning Canarsie home collapsed, trapping him and several other firefighters.
The other members were able to escape and were taken to area hospitals. A 21-year-old civilian, Carlos Richards, also died in the fire.
“Tim made an impression on everybody he worked with, junior men who he trained and senior men who he impressed,” Lieutenant Robert Kittelberger of Ladder Company 170 said at Klein's wake Thursday.
“He was a very big part of our firehouse; he was very dependable at a fire,” Kittelberger said. “This has been heartbreaking for us. We are going to stick together and get through the next couple of days and take care of each other.”
At Klein’s wake, Kavanagh said the fire department will be there to support his family not just at the funeral but in the weeks and months to come.
“There’s really nothing you can say to a family to make this any easier, but certainly what we pledge is to never forget. And you see the presence here behind me—blocks and blocks of firefighters coming to give their condolences,” Kavanagh said.
Father William Sweeney led Friday’s Mass. He told 1010 WINS that Klein was scheduled to be a part of a wedding at the church in the coming weeks.
“He was supposed to be in the wedding party,” Sweeney said. “People who were getting married talked about it, ‘Should we cancel it?’ And they decided to go ahead in honor of Timmy. And they’re going to have a special tribute to him at the wedding.”
Just three years ago, Ladder 170 lost firefighter Steven Pollard, who fell from the Belt Parkway while responding to a crash in January 2019. Klein delivered a touching eulogy for Pollard.
“I was with Steve the night he passed,” Klein said. “Steven Pollard died not thinking of himself, but trying to help others. We lost a true hero that night. Stevie, it breaks my heart to know that the days working alongside you are over.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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