ARVADA — More than 1,000 people — including family, friends and firefighters from across the country — packed a funeral here for a fallen Denver firefighter.
The gathering filled with emotional, heartfelt homage would have made John P. Whelan III, a 15-year-veteran of the Denver Fire Department, uncomfortable, said Assistant Fire Chief Tony Gonzalez, a friend of Whelan’s.
“He did not ‘die a hero.’ He would not have been comfortable with that (description),” Gonzalez said. “He died doing his job.”
Whelan, 46, fell through a skylight while battling a trash bin fire on June 28. After being treated and released from a hospital, Whelan suffered shortness of breath Wednesday
and died of cardiac arrest related to his injuries.
At his Tuesday service at Faith Bible Chapel, speakers recalled Whelan as a dedicated firefighter and family man, a leader who looked everyone he met in the eye while offering a hearty handshake with a smile.
“You will never be able to find anybody who would be able to say anything negative about John,” said Denver Fire Chief Eric Tade.
At the service, a “sea of blue,” firefighters dressed in formal uniforms along with others in daily blues, formed a long, silent procession into the church at the start of the 90-minute service.
A montage of still photographs, set to popular music, illustrated Whelan’s life: infancy, tow-headed boy, teen athlete, Denver firefighter, husband, parent.
The last photo in the presentation showed Whelan dressed in his firefighting gear, his helmet on his right thigh, his wedding ring visible on his left hand. In the background, Whelan’s son Jackson, now 13, sits in the engineer’s seat of a Denver fire truck, smiling as he looks over his dad’s shoulder. The same photo graced the memorial service program cover.
Mayor Michael Hancock spoke at the memorial, thanking Whelan’s family for his “service and sacrifice” on behalf of a “profoundly grateful” city.
“When others run from danger, firefighters, like John, run toward it,” the mayor told the gathering.
Hancock called Jackson to the dais and presented him with an honorary gold-plated coin, given by the city to former presidents, foreign dignitaries and military service members. Whelan’s widow, Sheri, embraced her son and steadied the teen as he accepted the token from Hancock.
Gonzalez told the gathering he met Whelan 15 years ago, when the firefighter was a rookie.
“John did you proud,” Gonzalez said, recognizing Whelan’s professionalism and dedication. “He made you all look good. … He was fantastic.” The assembled — which included firefighters from across the nation, New York City to Seattle — clapped its approval.
Gonzalez was assigned, as a lieutenant, to Denver Fire Station 8, Whelan’s station. Gonzalez talked about the camaraderie firefighters share, including steady doses of outrageous teasing.
Whelan, who wore a large hat, was known in the fire house by a variety of nicknames including “buckethead.”
Firefighters responding to a traffic accident came across the housing of a downed sodium lamp in the road and determined it looked like a fire helmet. They brought it back to the station, cleaned it up, painted the department’s logo on it and hung on a wall, next to another oversized dome they had ginned up in honor of Whelan.
Arriving at work to find the fire house art pieces, Whelan shared a few colorful, choice words with colleagues before changing into uniform, Gonzalez recalled.
Whelan was the epitome of a firefighter since the day he first donned the uniform, Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez talked with Whelan after the June 28 accident.
“John was at peace,” Gonzalez said.
Whelan had told the assistant chief: “I would do it again.”
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822, knicholson@denverpost.com or twitter.com/kierannicholson
