Fort Lee Fire Department Bids Farewell

On Thursday night, the Fort Lee Fire Department said farewell to one of its own, Donald O'Prandy from Co. #4, just as a driving rain ceased. Through a standing-room-only crowd of family and friends, an endless procession of blue uniforms with shrouded badges filed into Hunt Stellato Funeral Home to pay their final respects. 

Just as the last man filed in, the lights unintentionally flickered and dimmed. Standing shoulder to shoulder, two rows deep were firefighters and officers who came up through the ranks with Donald, fought fires with him, spent many hours at the firehouse talking with him. 

Firefighters dressed in their uniform blues came in from surrounding towns--Leonia, which had just laid to rest one of their own this week, John O'Toole; Cliffside Park, Fairview and even the Bronx. 

Firefighters always heed the call of duty, but never more than when that duty requires them to lay to rest one of their own. They take an oath to faithfully serve, and this oath extends to their brothers--to faithfully serve them not only in life, but also in death by following the established protocol for funerals. It's the ceremonious ritual of that protocol that carries as much, if not greater, meaning than a religious ceremony because it's performed by men and women who may not have a direct link to any higher being, but who do have a direct link to the man with whom they shared an oath of duty. 

It’s during times of loss when it’s evident to all that a firehouse is more than just a place to park trucks. For its members, their house is their church and their confessional. It's their home and their family. It's their purpose and their passion. And when one of the members dies, especially one so young, the feeling of loss is palpable and personal.

Those who knew Donald O'Prandy knew the sound of his laughter. His brilliant sense of humor, his love for surrounding himself with friends and his generous spirit are what endeared him to so many people. Wakes are always difficult for everyone, but Donald's wife, Debbie, did an outstanding job filling the room with his spirit. Donald was a "Three Stooges" fan, and lining the walls were framed pictures of Moe, Larry, and Curly, along with signed pictures of 1960s kids' icon Officer Joe Bolton and a typewritten biography of the "Three Stooges" presented to Donald by Officer Joe. 

Perhaps the saddest part of the wake was that Donald wasn't there to enjoy it. He would have loved to have gathered in one room all the people who meant so much to him in life. But a spirit as strong as his does not die. It lives on through the friendships and shared memory of all who gathered to say goodbye. 

For Donald, here’s an Irish whiskey toast: “May the roads rise to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, the rain fall soft upon your fields, and until we meet again, may there be a generous bartender waiting to serve all us heathens in heaven.” 

Donald Peter O'Prandy, we hardly knew ye.