‘Truly one of our best’: Hundreds mourn Philadelphia firefighter killed in Fairhill building collapse
A massive crowd of friends, family, firefighters, police officers, state troopers, and other emergency personnel gathered to pay their respects to Lt. Sean Williamson, who died June 18.
South Philadelphia stood uncharacteristically still on Monday as fire trucks carried the casket of Lt. Sean Williamson, in a funeral procession that drew over 1,000 people into the streets between spells of rain to mourn the fallen firefighter.
A massive crowd of friends, family, firefighters, city police officers, state troopers, and other emergency service personnel flocked to the Epiphany of Our Lord Catholic Church at 11th and Jackson Streets to pay their respects to the decorated firefighter who died in a North Philadelphia building collapse on June 18 — one of over 375 killed in the line of duty since the department’s inception.
Described as a devoted father and husband, a mentor to younger firefighters, and a fun-loving friend to all, Williamson, 51, spent nearly three decades with the Philadelphia Fire Department, serving with the department’s specialized units before his last assignment with Ladder 18 in Nicetown-Tioga.
“He was truly one of our best,” said Fire Commissioner Adam K. Thiel, in an emotionally charged eulogy.
The funeral drew mourners from firehouses across the country. Cadres made the trek from Baltimore, New York, Atlantic City, and other cities to pay tribute, donning full regalia and flying flags with their department’s insignias through South Philly.
Working an overtime shift on June 18, Williamson was one of several firefighters who responded to a routine blaze at a pizza shop in Fairhill just before 2 a.m.
After the blaze was under control, Williamson remained on scene with four other firefighters and a city building inspector to survey the damage when the three-story corner property came crashing down on top of them. Five managed to escape with injuries. Williamson’s body was located in the rubble after an hours-long search, leaving the fire department heartbroken and the neighborhood shaken.
» READ MORE: Investigation continues into North Philly building collapse that killed a firefighter
“Sean was a friend and a brother to a lot of us,” said firefighter Eddie Brown, fighting back tears during the funeral Mass.
The building did not have proper permits for construction work performed there, nor proper licenses for the first-floor business and upstairs apartments, according to city officials. The fire marshal’s investigation remains ongoing.
Born in 1970 in Philadelphia, Williamson joined the U.S. Marines after graduating high school. He returned to his native city after his service and took a job in construction. But, missing the camaraderie of the military, he joined the Philadelphia Fire Department in 1994, quickly developing a reputation as an industrious recruit whose positive energy was infectious throughout the city’s firehouses, according to PFD Lt. David Herron.
“Everything he did was an adventure,” Herron said. “It didn’t matter what he was doing — you just know you wanted to be with him.”
Retired Lt. George Kiefer, who knew Williamson from his earliest days in the department, described him as a razor-witted young firefighter who had a strong sense of mission.
“He was hands on, get your hands dirty kind of guy,” Kiefer said. “You could see the Marine in him right away. If he thought it was an order, it was going to get done quickly.”
Williamson himself later became a mentor to others, teaching young cadets at the Fire Academy. He also served on the department’s specialized rescue company, and as a member of a federal search-and-rescue team.
According to commissioner Thiel, one of the four firefighters injured in the building collapse later said he felt like he was in best possible hands with Williamson that morning.
Williamson’s family spent hours greeting mourners at viewings Sunday and Monday.
“I wish I could tell you that it gets easier,” Thiel said to Williamson’s children. “What I can say is this: They are always with us. The lessons they taught, the love they showed — it’s always there.”
Speaking to the bereaved at Mass, Mayor Jim Kenney said he did not personally know Williamson, but as the son of a firefighter from South Philadelphia, he knew the sacrifices they make in their personal and professional lives.
“Sometimes, he had to put other families’ needs ahead of his own,” the mayor said.
“[Williamson] not only risked his life to protect and serve others,” Kenney added. “He also missed countless family dinners, holidays, and birthdays to serve the greater good.”
Kenney said city flags will be flown at half-mast for 30 days to honor Williamson.
» READ MORE: ‘I’m not done crying’: City identifies the 27-year veteran firefighter killed in a building collapse in North Philly
After Mass, pall bearers wrapped Williamson’s casket in an American flag and carried it into the street, where hundreds of emergency service personnel stood in uniformed rows to offer one last salute.
As the sounds of funerary bagpipes played, Williamsons’ casket was hoisted onto a fire truck that had been converted into a hearse, and then led on one final procession through the city before returning for a private burial at Stolfo Funeral Home.
“Sean Williamson, you are a good man and you lived a good life,” said Brown. “Rest easy, brother. We have it from here.”