| Mark Whitford, 31,
firefighter, wrestling champ Sunday,
September 30, 2001 By CHAN-JOO MOON
ADVANCE STAFF WRITER
Firefighter Mark Whitford, 31, called his wife before going into the burning South
Tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. A chauffeur for Manhattan's Engine
Co. 23, it was his duty to remain with the truck.
But his
wife knew he would not stay outside. "I knew he had
to do what he was going to do to help people," said his wife, Renee. It
was his dream to be on a rescue company and on the night of Sept. 10, only hours
before the terrorist attacks that leveled the Twin Towers, he was notified of
his acceptance to Staten Island's elite Rescue 5. "He
was incredibly happy. That's why he didn't stay with the truck. It was in his
blood. He was a rescuer," Mrs. Whitford said. All six
members of Engine Co. 23 remain missing. His brother, Chris,
a police officer in Manhattan's 1st Precinct, spent several days after the tragedy
looking for him. The fire truck was discovered. Mr. Whitford's
bunker gear was not on the truck. "That was Mark. He
went in all equipped," Mrs. Whitford said. In addition
to being a firefighter, he was an Army Reserve Captain assigned to Fort Dix. Mr.
Whitford was remembered by his family in the following statement: "At age
31 he fully understood and appreciated each precious moment he spent with both
family and friends. In his own words, 'Time does not matter, it is what we do
during that time which does.' He expressed his devotion to live life to its fullest.
On Sept. 11 he used the time he had to ensure that others would have this opportunity."
"The biggest thing I'll remember is he wasn't just
my brother," said Mr. Whitford's younger brother, Dennis. "He was my
best friend. He helped me out a lot." Mr. Whitford
leaves behind twin sons, Timothy and Matthew, who are 13 months old. He
was born in Tottenville and lived there until October of last year, when he moved
to Washingtonville in Orange County, N.Y. Mr. Whitford was
on the wrestling team of Tottenville High School, where he became a three-time
city PSAL champion and a three-time Advance All Star. He ranked sixth in the state
in his senior year of high school. A graduate of Seton Hall
University, he won first place in the heavyweight division of the New England
Conference Wrestling Championships at Boston College in 1993. Mr.
Whitford graduated with a bachelor's degree in business management in 1993. He
was a financial adviser for Chase Manhattan Bank, Manhattan, until he was accepted
into the Fire Department in 1997. "His calling was
to be a fireman," Mrs. Whitford said. He worked for
a year in Ladder Co. 147 in Brooklyn and Engine Co. 152 in Rosebank before joining
Engine Co. 23. On July 22, 1999, Mr. Whitford helped deliver
a baby with a team of firefighters. He was in an Engine Co. 165 truck, parked
on Richmond Road in front of its Richmond station, when a man pulled up behind
the truck and called for help in delivering his wife's baby. A healthy, six-pound,
five-ounce baby girl was delivered that day. Mr. Whitford
enjoyed rock climbing, scuba diving and repelling. He was
a parishioner of St. Mary's R.C. Church, Washingtonville. Surviving
are his wife; his sons; another brother, Chris; his parents, Carol and Roger;
a sister, Lisa Walker; and his grandparents, Edward and Rose Whitford. The
memorial mass will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. in St. Mary's Church, 42 Goshen
Road, Washingtonville. For those who can't attend the official
memorial service in Washingtonville, a memorial mass will be held tomorrow at
11 a.m. in Our Lady Help of Christians R.C. Church, Tottenville. | 
