Firefighter Arthur T. Barry

Ladder 15, FDNY

Firefighter Barry's Act of Heroism

Over 400 first responders lost their lives on September 11, 2001. Heroically performing their sworn duty, these firefighters, members of the NYPD and PAPD, and numerous other rescue workers will forever be remembered for their sacrifice.

My Hero

Arthur T. Barry had an irrepressible joie de vivre.

In 2000, he drove his motorcycle on a 10,000- mile trip diagonally through Canada to Fairbanks, Alaska, and returned traveling across the country.

That was just one example. Mr. Barry, 35, a lifelong resident of Westerleigh, in Staten Island, spent his youth zipping across the country on road trips, said his mother, Audriene Barry.

Mr. Barry's zest for life was apparent in his work, she said. He was in the business of saving lives as a New York City firefighter for seven years. Before becoming a firefighter, he had worked as an elevator mechanic and a machine-tool technician. He was a member of Ladder Company 15 near the South Street Seaport, and his colleagues frequently relied on him to repair elevators during high-rise fires. "He truly loved the Fire Department," Mrs. Barry said.

Firefighting was in his blood. His father, Bertrand, retired as a fireboat pilot after 20 years on the job, Mrs. Barry said. For a time, Bertrand Barry patrolled the waters of New York Harbor in the shadow of the World Trade Center.

Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on November 21, 2001.
Information courtesy of the Remember 9/11/2001 memorial site on legacy.com