Stephen E. Russack

What Happened

Firefighter of the Fire Department of the City of New York, who died of an illness from the rescue and recovery at the World Trade Center. The department added the name to its World Trade Center Memorial Wall at the ceremony of 09 September 2025. He died on 16 February 2024, aged 72.

Biography

Born in Brooklyn, New York, on July 8, 1951, Stephen E. Russack was the first of two children born to John and Dorothy Russack. The family lived in Rosedale, where Steve attended St. Clare’s Grammar School and Church. He went on to St. Francis Xavier High School, where he played football and formed lifelong friendships, graduating in 1969 before attending St. John’s University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree. A talented carpenter, Steve built a successful business before marrying the love of his life, Barbara, in 1975. On December 31, 1977, while visiting family in California with his pregnant wife, Steve received a call from the FDNY offering him a position as a firefighter and requesting he report the next day to Randall’s Island. Without hesitation, he flew back to New York that very night, arriving with Barbara and their luggage in tow for his first day. It was an inconvenient decision, but ultimately one of the greatest choices he ever made. He began his career at Ladder 107/Engine 225, located at Lincoln and Linden Boulevards in East New York. It became his second home. The men he served with became the brothers he never had. Steve spent his entire FDNY career in Ladder 107 as part of the forcible entry team, building a reputation as someone his fellow firefighters could trust with their lives. A gifted athlete, Steve played on the FDNY Football and Hockey teams and enjoyed surfing and skiing when not working to support his growing family. While holding two jobs, he still found time to coach his son Craig and daughter Leigh-Anne’s teams, and to organize many firehouse events—the Napsack Open golf outing in Pennsylvania, dinners, dances, and the annual Christmas party for retired members and their families to stay connected. He even ran for union president, always eager

to shake things up.

Steve served on the search and rescue team at Ground Zero and Fresh Kills in the months following the attacks. In 2002, doctors told him his lungs could no longer handle the job, and he retired after 25 years of service. Despite later suffering from 9/11-related pulmonary disease, Steve remained incredibly strong and never let his illness define him. Steve was blessed to meet his five grandchildren, Alexander, Olivia, Xavier, Anna, and Sienna, who knew him as their beloved Pop Pop. On February 16, 2024, Steve passed away due to his 9/11-related illness. True to form, he drove himself to the hospital on a Monday and passed that Friday. He never once complained. He was deeply loved and is missed every single day by Barbara, his family, and all who knew him.

Service Record

Details

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