One Year Later: Remembering Mark Falkenhan

(UPDATED 12:56 p.m.) Gladys Falkenhan is still hoping to wake up one day and realize the last year has been nothing more than a nightmare.

It was one year ago today that Gladys Falkenhan’s life would be changed forever. It was on this day—Jan. 19, 2011—that her husband, while battling a four-alarm apartment blaze in Parkville.

The Middle River native became the first Baltimore County line of duty death since three firefighters died battling the .

“I’m just waiting for Mark to walk through the door with that big smile and hug us all,” Falkenhan said.

Gladys Falkenhan said she has done her best to remain strong over the last year in order to be there for her two sons, Christian and Garrett.

But, she admits, that can be difficult at times.

“It’s not easy, but you do what you have to do for your children,” Falkenhan said.

Falkenhan said a big reason her family has remained strong over the last year has been the huge outpouring of support from friends, relatives, co-workers and strangers from all over the country.

Among those that have been there for the Falkenhans are the Baltimore County Fire Department, the U.S. Secret Service, the Lutherville Volunteer Fire Co. and Middle River Volunteer Ambulance & Rescue Co.

Mark Falkenhan worked for 16 years as a paramedic in the Baltimore County Fire Department before leaving for a job with the Secret Service. He was also a lifetime member and former chief at Middle River Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue Co. before joining Lutherville Volunteer Fire Co.

In addition, there have been , while students and

“The love and support we have received from so many has been amazing and we can’t thank everyone enough for all they have done for us over the last year,” Gladys Falkenhan said. “It’s just been unbelievable to see how many good people are out there in this world.”

In the year since Mark Falkenhan died, he has received many honors, including posthumously receiving the . He was also recognized during in Timonium among many other memorials over the past year.

But those who knew and loved Falkenhan want him to be remembered as a great husband, father and friend. They are also amazed with how well Gladys has carried on without him.

"I am so in awe of Gladys and the way she has gotten through this year with such strength and dignity and so proud of Christian and the young man he is becoming, a young man so much like his father," said Katie Haines, Mark's cousin.

"I am also pleased that Mark was so well-recognized after his death for all he did, not only in his final rescue but throughout his years as a firefighter, paramedic and teacher."

Haines, who helped organize a fundraiser for the family, has become inspired to be active in raising money for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation in Falkenhan's honor. He will be added to the national fallen firefighters memorial in Emmitsburg in October.

I have never been big on exercise ... but pushing myself by training for these events has helped with some of the tumultuous emotions brought on by Mark's death, since I feel like helping the NFFF is doing something concrete to help those left behind," Haines said.

One way Gladys Falkenhan learned just how much Mark was loved came last month when she asked people who knew him to email stories about him.

She then printed the stories out, placed them in his stocking and read them with friends and family on Dec. 26, what would have been Mark’s 44^th birthday.

“We learned again just how much Mark was loved and missed,” Gladys Falkenhan said.

Baltimore County Fire Department Chief John J. Hohman called Falkenhan's passing "the saddest day he spent on the job" as chief.

He said Falkenhan was a beloved member of the fire department and served as a mentor, teacher and friend to countless EMS providers.

"The only good to come out of this tragic day is to see how the entire community rallied around the Falkenhan family and showed them how much Mark was loved," said Hohman, who expects the results of the county's investigation into the fatal fire to be completed within about a month.

"Mark made the ultimate sacrifice and there are people alive today from that apartment building because of the bravery he showed."