The 'stuff' of memory

WORCESTER - As retired Fire Lt. Donald Courtney lifts open one of 82 containers of "the stuff" stored on the property of Saint-Gobain Corp., he smiles as he carefully inspects the items inside.

He said he remains fascinated by what he finds and deeply touched by what it all means.

"The stuff" is a collection of everything left by firefighters, schoolchildren and members of the community, as expressions of grief over the loss of the six Worcester firefighters killed on Dec. 3, 1999, while fighting the Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. fire. It includes notes, stuffed animals, handcrafted items and artworks. There is also a box of firefighting tools found at the fire scene.

The fire took the lives of Fire Lts. Thomas Spencer, 42, Timothy P. Jackson Sr., 51, and James F. Lyons III, 34,and Firefighters Jeremiah M. Lucey, 38, Paul A. Brotherton, 41, and Joseph T. McGuirk, 38.

Mr. Courtney is the official keeper of "the stuff," the title officially recognized by then-Gov. Deval Patrick. On Friday, he made what is an annual visit to "the stuff," a ritual he and others do each year as the anniversary of the tragic fire approaches. The archive was moved to Saint-Gobain Corp. in 2000. Today is the 18th anniversary of the fire and all of the items remain in storage, visited occasionally by firefighters and others.

The gray 22-gallon plastic boxes hold thousands of letters, hundreds of stuffed animals, toys of all types, but especially fire engines and many, many other items. It is called "the stuff," Mr. Courtney said, because of discussions after the fire about what could be done with the items left at fire stations by the grieving public.

"People were saying, what are we going to do with that stuff people dropped off," he said.

It was decided that the department would keep it all. Mr. Courtney's task was to take care of it. When a fire museum is built in the city, he said he hopes "the stuff" will be moved there to be displayed. In January, a memorandum of understanding was approved by the Worcester Redevelopment Authority to establish a Worcester Museum of Fire History in the eastern end of Union Station. The memorandum is not a binding agreement but allows for the museum to be created by the Worcester Historical Fire Society. The project requires that certain improvements be completed in Union Station before the museum is created.

The city will mark the anniversary of the fire today, as it has every year, but Mr. Courtney said he also wants the public to know how the Fire Department and present and former firefighters feel about "the stuff."

"One of my main goals is to tell the citizens of Worcester, the citizens of Central Massachusetts, the citizens of the commonwealth and the U.S. that we will never, ever forget what you did for us in 1999," he said. "Your support was important to get us through."

Mr. Courtney was joined in his visit to "the stuff" by City Councilors Gary Rosen and Tony J. Economou.

"It brings back a lot of memories of this tragedy," Mr. Rosen said. "I had no idea there were so many mementos of that tragic event. I hope some day the public here in Worcester who went through this can see some of this stuff on display. It certainly will stir tragic memories."

Mr. Economou said he was there the night of the fire.

"This is overwhelming to me," he said. "It's good to know their job was not done in vain. It touches my heart right now just standing in this space."

One item Mr. Courtney is especially taken with is a plaque and attached wooden firefighter helmet received from Maine. The helmet is so realistic it is difficult to distinguish from real. It was carved by an inmate in a Maine prison. There is also a shadowbox created by Fire Chief Michael J. Lavoie. Behind glass are two gloved hands sifting through ashes, illustrating the extensive search by members of the department to find remains of the lost firefighters.

There are also paintings, a banner that was placed on a billboard near Union Station showing the six firefighters and a part of a steel fence that was placed around the fire site and was later covered with shirts from fire departments from around the country.

As he went through a box of toys left by children to express their grief, Mr. Courtney again stated his appreciation.

"It comes from the heart. It is somebody's prized possession," he said. "We still have it. We will not let it go. We will find a home for it and put it on display."

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