Thursday, 4:30 PM
A sea of blue salutes a fallen firefighter in West Roxbury
(John Tlumacki /Globe Staff)
The first of two firefighter funerals gripped West Roxbury today as thousands lined the street in mourning.
By Ryan Haggerty and Andrew Ryan, Globe Correspondent and Globe Staff
The casket of Paul J. Cahill was wrapped in an American flag on top of Engine 30 as the truck rolled slowly down Centre Street in West Roxbury, past a line of thousands of firefighters from around the country in crisp dress uniforms.
The line was a dozen firefighters deep in places and stretched for some 10 blocks, from Holy Name Church, past the burnt shell of the Tai Ho Mandarin and Cantonese Restaurant, where Cahill and Warren J. Payne became the first Boston firefighters to die in a fire since 1994.
The sea of blue ran all the way back to the firehouse on Centre Street, the station where Cahill and Payne worked, where the driveway has been covered by flowers. A Boston fire department spokesman estimated that the crowd included 10,000 firefighters.
More than 1,500 people filled the red brick Holy Name Church for Cahill's funeral, the program for which is posted here
The Rev. Daniel J. Mahoney, chief chaplain of the Boston Fire Department, described Cahill and Payne in his homily as the "latest heroes in the long blue line."
"The citizens of Boston know when the bell rings, when the box is struck, Boston firefighters -- like all firefighters -- respond, no matter the risk, no matter the cost," Mahoney said. "But how grievous the cost is that brings us together here in Holy Name this morning."
Cahill's son, Adam, 21, spoke of the consuming void he has felt since his father's death.
"There is an absence of proper words to describe the love that I have for my father," Adam Cahill said. "It's not due to a lack of a vocabulary. They just don't exist."
Others tried to find those words. They described Cahill as a faithful brother, caring father, trusted friend, exemplary firefighter, and legendary firehouse cook.
"Paul was so animated when he described a nice meal he was about to prepare," said Captain Stephen Keogh of Engine 30. "He would say, 'Boys I have some nice steaks or a beautiful roast tonight.' Then he would add, 'My wife, Anne, is a vegetarian, and we rarely have meat at home, so I like to get some nice cuts of beef.'"
Keogh continued: "Paul was a good man, a kind man. Always smiling, telling funny stories. He took great pleasure in making people laugh. He would do anything for anybody."
They began to gather early this morning, dropped off by 50 MBTA buses with the words "Firefighters Funeral" flashing across the route marquee. The bus drivers volunteered on their day off and shuttled the firefighters to the service for free, said Steven MacDonald, a spokesman for the Boston Fire Department.
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MAP: The procession 
PDF: Program Fire site had code violations Station house 'family' shoulders loss together In small businesses' time of need, Centre St. community steps upGRAPHICS:
Fire trap Map Past fires causing multiple deathsVideo:
Funeral services for Cahill Public wakePhotos:
A long goodbye The scene TributesFallen but not forgotten:
Paul J. Cahill Warren J. PaynePost a tribute:
Cahill PayneThe crowd included 70 recruits from the Boston Fire Academy at Moon Island, who stood out because they wore light-blue, short-sleeve, button-down shirts and firefighter helmets. Out-of-town firefighters carried honor guard flags saying how far they had come: Arlington, Baltimore, Scituate, San Francisco, Dallas.
"When this happens, to have this support helps in the firehouse and helps to start the overall healing process," said Captain Hugh Doherty, who came with 12 other firefighters from Toronto for the funerals. "It's not a cliche in terms of this brotherhood and sisterhood. When one is killed tragically serving their community, this is a way of showing respect for the family and Boston firefighters."
Payne's funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Friday in the United House of Prayer for All People in Dorchester, following a two-hour viewing at the church.
The procession for Cahill began at 9:30 a.m. at Dockray and Thomas Funeral Home in Canton, where he lived before moving to Scituate. The convoy headed up Neponset Street into Norton, onto Route 1 through Westwood, and into Dedham, where Cahill grew up, the oldest of six.
The fire trucks approached Holy Name Church at 11 a.m. and passed under a massive American flag held aloft by two ladder trucks. The wail of 75 bagpipers was followed by 50 drummers in red, green, and blue kilts.
Patty Federico came from Roslindale to stand on Centre Street and pay her respects. "This is absolutely unbelievable, I've never seen anything like it," Federico said. "They just keep coming and coming."
Firefighters from Cahill's West Roxbury firehouse walked alongside Engine 30, wearing white gloves and holding one hand on the side of truck. The bagpipes wailed louder as Cahill's coffin was carried up the steps of the church.
One woman clutched an American flag and held her right hand over her heart while a tear rolled down her check.
(Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff)
