A Chicago firefighter who died in the line of duty was remembered today as someone who did for others …on the job and off.
61-year old firefighter Steve Decker died last week during a training exercise. During his funeral at St. Paul Lutheran Church on the Northwest Side, he was remembered as someone who was gentle, kind and caring. His brother Jim offered one of the eulogies.
"Steve was truly born to be a fireman," he said.
Steve Decker followed in his father’s footsteps as a Chicago firefighter and always wanted to be a firefighter. Their father would keep his turnout gear in the back of the family station wagon, and Jim Decker said he and his brother would fight over who was going to wear it. Jim said Steve won.
Jim Decker also told those gathered in the church that, unlike other young people who'd have "Walkmans and CD players", he and Steve had fire scanners and would ride their bikes to any neighborhood fire they'd hear over the scanners.
Steve Decker’s son, Matt, followed him and became a firefighter now in Iowa. He said his dad loved being a firefighter, as well as being a grandfather.
He closed out his eulogy with these words: "I love you, Dad. I'm so proud of you, so proud I was able to share you with so many different people and groups. I love you, Dad. Rest easy, Grandpa. We’ll take it from here, brother."
Chicago Fire Department Chaplain Fr. Ryan Brady called firefighter Steve Decker selfless. He saw Decker at a number of department events.
"He was the one who greeted me so kindly and so warmly. He was gentleman in the truest sense of the word."
Chicago Firefighter Steve Decker is remembered as someone who always wanted to follow his father into the fire service.
Chicago Firefighter Steve Decker is remembered as someone who always wanted to follow his father into the fire service.
