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Bruce Gary, 51, of Bellmore was a New York City firefighter with Engine 40 on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. He was found with his medical bag outside of the south tower.
Gary was a dedicated firefighter who raised his three children alone.
"He never slept. He was always going," said his daughter Jessica Kostaris of Massapequa, who was 24 when her father was killed. Despite his busy schedule, "he was still able to be a huge part of our lives."
He even managed to be vice president of the Bellmore Little League. "He coached; he was there for whatever we needed him for," she said.
His sister Donna Struzzieri of Wantagh said he also filled a fatherly role for the rest of the family.
"I think of him as someone very strong physically and strong mentally, someone that always made me feel safe. I believe the whole family felt safe. That was his role," she said.
When he died, people she had never met told her about all of his kindnesses - such as doing plumbing work in which he was so skilled, and then not accepting payment.
"He was generous with his time and talents and never asked for anything," she said. "He was exhausted, he was tired but he would help me all the time."
When the events of Sept. 11 began to unfold she said her first thought was: "I have to call Bruce. He would be the first person I would always go to. The children lost their father but we also lost the protector for the entire family." - Ridgely Ochs
New York Times Portraits of Grief
You could learn something about Bruce Gary from the way he coached a Little League team. Season after season he created good teams by focusing not on the all- stars but on the children other coaches would stick in right field and forget about.
"Every year there would be the really good kids, and some kids who weren't so good," said Thomas Gary, his 15-year-old son. "But he worked more with those kids, and by the end of the season the team would be more equal."
Mr. Gary, 51, was a firefighter with Engine 40, a part-time plumber and since his divorce a decade ago a full-time parent to his three children: Richard, 20, Jessica, 24, and Thomas. Somehow he found time to be vice president of the Little League in Bellmore, N.Y., coaching his sons and their friends. Always encouraging, never losing his temper.
"He would help boost kids' self-esteem," his daughter said. "He wanted to give everyone a chance."
may you rest in peace
may you rest in peace sweetheart.god bless you
I am running my first ever 5K
I am running my first ever 5K tomorrow morning... the Fireman 5K in Sweetwater, TN. We are all running in memory of a Fireman who died on 9/11. I just wanted to let the Gary family know that I will be running in memory of Bruce Gary. He is not forgotten!
Posted by April Brooks
I am doing a stair climb
Our community has an annual stair climb and I will be climbing in memory of Bruce Gary
Posted by Anonymous
21 years gone by.......
It doesn't matter how much time passes, it still feels like yesterday. Never forgotten, always missed.
Posted by Gia
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