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It’s a glimpse into the lighter side of a tragic hero.
Fallen FDNY firefighter Patrick Brady and his bride, Kara Yankay, cheekily pulled a fast one on family and friends April Fool’s Day 2023, inviting 300 of them to what the crowd thought would be his 40th birthday party — only to learn the couple was tying the knot then and there.
“Shortly after the guests arrived for the birthday bash, Pat and his lady, Kara Yankay, disappeared for a quick outfit change and dropped a major surprise on the guests,” the Rockaway Times reported at the time. “This wasn’t just a birthday party — it was their wedding!”
The joyous memory resurfaced Sunday — fewer than 24 hours after the 42-year-old veteran firefighter died while suffering cardiac arrest as he battled a blaze at a six-story Brooklyn building.
His widow Kara has a deeply touching quote on top of her Facebook page that involves remaining true to loved ones who aren’t around.
“You know that place between sleep and awake, the place you can still remember dreaming?” the post reads. “That’s where I will always love you, that’s where I’ll be waiting.”
It appears she originally posted it more than a decade years ago.
Patrick Brady, who joined the department in 2014, was assigned to Ladder 120 when he died.
He was on the roof of the building on Kings Highway shortly after 9:30 p.m. Saturday when he fell into cardiac arrest and was rushed to Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
His FDNY siblings, Jimmy and Brian, were on hand for Sunday’s bunting ceremony, as were their parents.
Officials said Brady’s cousin and uncle also served in the FDNY.
“His love for his firehouse, for the members of this firehouse, only came second to the love for his wife, Kara,” friend and fellow firefighter Jake Touhey said after Sunday’s ceremony.
