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On
labor Day weekend, Steve Mercado, President of the New York
Emperor's Stickball League and Captain of the Bronx Gold team,
visited San Diego to play in the International Stickball Tournament.
Steve played on the Bronx Gold team that beat the San Diego's
Caffe Italia team in the finals on Monday, September 3rd
on Columbia Street. Eight days later on Tuesday, September
11th, in response to the horrible events at the
World Trade Center, Steve Mercado and his fire company, Engine
40 Ladder 35, ran into the World Trade Center to help with
the evacuation. Steve, his brother fire fighters disappeared
when the first tower collapsed.
Steve leaves behind two sons, 6-year-old Skylar and 2-½ year
old Austin, his wife, Joviana, and his parents. Steve's
kindness, love of his family and love of life touched us all.
As a tribute to Steve and the thousands of others who were
killed that catastrophic day, we say thank you for your service
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with
other firefighters. He presided over a stickball league. And
he was helping to create a baseball and stickball league for
children under 9. "He had his fingers in everything,"
said his mother, Mary Mercado. "Every time someone calls,
I say, `I didn't know that.' "
But Mr. Mercado, 38, who remained in the Bronx with his wife
and two sons, also loved being a firefighter, his mother said.
He is now one of 11 firefighters missing from Engine 40, Ladder
35 in Manhattan. His parents, who live in Florida, visited
the firehouse recently and were greeted with hugs and kisses
from fIrefighters and strangers alike. "They cry with
us," Mrs. Mercado said of the strangers dropping off
flowers, food and money at the firehouse. "New York City
has been great. They feel the pain." But none more than
her son's Fire Department brothers, she said.
"The firemen are the ones that are hurting," Mrs.
Mercado said. "They say they have to have hope."
That is why she still spoke of the oldest of her three sons
in the present tense. "I'm very proud of him,"
she said. "He's a great son."
Little
Italy Stickball
Leaders Attend Services for Steve Mercado, Letter
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from
Jim Strickland (November)
Hi
There,
Willie, Vince, Joel and I attended the Memorial Service for
Steve Mercado last Saturday in the Bronx, NYC. The service
was held in a Catholic church in the Bronx. I counted
1200 to 1300 people present. It was standing room only.
The place was packed! The service was lovely with worship
songs, a solo, a message by the priest and communion.
The finale was appropriately titled "Accolades."
About 20 family and friends stood at the podium and spoke
words describing Steve and his love for his family, his community,
his fellow firefighters and, of course, stickball. Many
of the word pictures brought tears to the eyes of those present.
Several of the speakers received standing ovations.
Willie represented the California contingent. Once Willie
stopped crying and was actually able to speak, his words echoed
the fondness we all felt/feel for Steve. Willie continued
into a heartfelt message based upon biblical scripture, which
reminds us that life is but a vapor. We are here on
earth only for a short time.
Are we ready to face
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