|
Post a reply || Back to Message Board Dennis Carpenter - Class of 1958
Dennis Carpenter won't spend the rest of time fighting fires. This is a shock to those who know him. And it doesn't seem to have quite settled on him either. "Come on, let's get it done," Carpenter said as he walked into his farewell luncheon at the firehouse on Grand Street. Some 70 or so past and current firefighters had gathered in the truck bays. "I've got things to do. Sheets to get done." Carpenter started with the Newburgh Fire Department in 1963. He made assistant chief before some of the younger firefighters were born. He yelled and swore when things weren't done right, and more than a few of the firefighters will tell you he scared the hell out of them. They'll also tell you he was one of the best. At first it was really, really hard, former firefighter Peter Schuyler said of working with Carpenter. He worked in Group Two with him from 1990 to 1996. You had to earn his respect. Tom Walsh worked in Group Two for close to 20 years. Me and him had our falling-outs, believe me, Walsh said, but when he was in the building, you always felt safer because he knew his stuff. Carpenter finished his last regular tour Friday. He'll officially retire in February with 46 years of service after his vacation and accrued time is burned up. Walsh, who retired as a lieutenant, said Carpenter just had a sense for fires. He was born to be a firefighter, Walsh said. They said these things out of his earshot, because they bust chops in the firehouse. The trait runs deep in Carpenter. What do you want? is the typical Carpenter greeting. He hassled a couple of reporters Friday. What are you going to do now? he was asked. Retire. Are you going to miss coming in here every day? His wife, Bonnie, tells it straighter. I think that's going to be hard for Dennis, she said. She's seen how proud he is of the department and how much he cares about the guys safety. People say he's gruff, she said. But he's really not. He's a sweetheart. She paused. He's tough when he has to be. A couple of members of his old crew tried to talk him into skipping the rest of the day and joining them for beers. He waved them off and headed back to his office. He was scheduled to be done with firefighting at 5 p.m. He planned to work an overtime shift in the morning.
Replies to this post |
Dennis M. Carpenter, a lifelong Newburgh resident, entered into rest on Sunday,
October 6, 2019, surrounded by his family. He was 79. Son of the late Fred J.
and Cecelia (Dourney) Carpenter, he was born on February 25, 1940 in Newburgh.
"Carp", as he was known to friends and family, was a graduate of St. Patrick's
School in Newburgh. He proudly served his country in the U.S. Navy, and was a
retired Assistant Chief with the City of Newburgh Fire Department where he
worked for 46 years from 1963 to 2009. In addition to his loving wife, Bonnie,
he is survived by a son, Dennis M. Carpenter and his wife, Cris; a daughter,
Tracy Mac Donald and her husband, Brian; a stepson, Thomas Yozzo and his wife,
Jennifer; and nine grandchildren, Joseph, Colette, Kevin, Korey, Kyler, Katie,
Nicholas, Gabriel and Shayla. Visitation will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. on
Wednesday, October 9, 2019 at White, Venuto and Morrill Funeral and Cremation
Service, 188 N. Plank Road, Newburgh, NY, with The Rev. John Vondras
officiating. A Funeral Service will take place at 11 a.m. on Thursday, October
10, 2019, at the funeral home. Burial with Military and Firematic Honors will
follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations in Dennis's memory
can be made to the Newburgh Fire Fighters Benevolent Association, PO Box 1513,
Newburgh, NY 12551, or Wounded Warriors Project at woundedwarriorproject.org/donate.
Funeral arrangements are under the care of White, Venuto and Morrill Funeral and
Cremation Service, 188 N. Plank Rd., Newburgh, or visit
NFA Class Memorial Page