Colleagues And Strangers Say An Emotional Farewell To A Fallen Firefighter Who Died Trying To Save Lives

CityNews –
August 15, 2008

They are athletic, strong, brave and determined, men who seem impervious to emotion.

But not on Friday, when firefighters choked back tears and tried in vain to keep their emotions in check, as more than 4,000 first responders said a final farewell to District Chief Bob Leek.

The Toronto firefighter was found dead last Sunday as he helped out at the Keele and Wilson scene of the devastating propane blast. It's still not clear what killed the 25-year veteran. 

But what was obvious to the thousands who came out in his honour is that he perished doing what he always had: protecting those in his community.

The procession began at 11am, as his body was transported to the Prayer Palace on Arrow Road onboard a fire truck. It was accompanied by the salutes of his colleagues, police, paramedics and other emergency workers, all paying a silent tribute to a man who likely would have been embarrassed by the fuss.

"If you ask a firefighter, they will say they're just simply doing their job, and in his line of duty death, we realize he did more than his job or what any job requires," noted Fire Chief Bill Stewart. "He paid and made the supreme sacrifice."

His brother called his 55-year-old lost sibling an inspiration to him and his grieving family. "I think being a family man is what drew him towards the Toronto Fire Services, the brotherhood that he truly believed in," a shaken Jim Leek intoned. "Today, I salute a knight who has fallen in the service of God, country and his people, maintaining his vow to the end."

Dist. Chief  Peter Sells's voice quivered as he summed up the measure of the man in one key phrase. "Bob Leek," he assured, "was one of the good guys, truly a man of courage, compassion and service."

There were bagpipers, prayers and reminiscences, all conducted as the coffin sat at the front of the giant hall. On the steps leading to the podium was another silent tribute that spoke volumes: Leek's helmet, boots, and protective jacket, which sadly could not save him that day.

Dignitaries a by his wife and 20-year-old son also attended the service, including Lt. Governor David Onley and various Toronto politicians - but pointedly not Mayor David Miller, who sent a statement that was read at the ceremony. His absence has already sparked new controversy.

And just when it seemed it could not get any more emotional, the funeral ended and Leek took his final journey past Toronto Fire Services Headquarters at Dufferin and Finch, where those on duty who were unable to attend the ceremony lined up in full uniform to salute the casket as it slowly passed by for the last time.

Even those who never knew the fallen firefighter were moved. "When one of us falls, one of us stumbles somewhere else, it's very important to show the respect, show the support, show the family that it's not just Toronto - it's all across North America," Chris Ross of the Montreal Fire Service made clear.

But after a day when there wasn't a dry eye in the house, perhaps it was Jim Leek who summed up the brother he knew and loved with the most eloquence.

"Bob is not a hero because of the way he died," he concluded. "Bob is a hero because of the way he lived."

"Bob, I salute you and I will miss you."

It was a sentiment echoed by even those who never knew him.

(Link to story)

Source: CityNews.ca

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