Funeral procession for fallen firefighter Monday; roads to close

On Monday morning, hundreds of firefighters are expected to gather in the City of Poughkeepsie to mourn the death and honor the sacrifice of their fallen "brother," Timothy Gunther.

A funeral procession will begin on Main Street and end at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center, a ceremony that will close several roads in the city from 9 a.m. to noon.

"There is a brotherhood of firefighters," Gunther said in a first-person column published in the Poughkeepsie Journal in 2013. "We take care of our own and we watch each others' backs, all the while protecting our communities."

It was while he was protecting his community that Gunther, a City of Poughkeepsie firefighter, gave his own life. The 54-year-old Beekman resident died Tuesday from cardiac-related issues after battling a blaze on Monday. He was transported to Vassar Brothers Medical Center from the scene of the Church Street fire, but his condition worsened at the hospital, and Tuesday morning, he was taken off life support.

City of Poughkeepsie Fire Department Engine 2, Gunther's assigned truck, will carry Gunther from McHoul Funeral Home in Hopewell Junction to the Public Safety Building on Main Street in Poughkeepsie on Monday. A short, public ceremony will be held at the Public Safety Building — the department's headquarters, at 505 Main Street — followed by a public funeral service with full fire department honors at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center at 10:30 a.m.

Road closures include:

• Main Street from Hamilton Street to Columbus Drive (West Arterial).

• Market Street from Church Street (East Arterial) to Main Street to Mill Street.

• Columbus Drive between Main Street and Mill Street (West Arterial).

The Columbus Drive bus terminal will be closed. Both county and city buses will operate from Market Street, between Church and Cannon streets.

Parking is closed on the listed streets, but attendees can park in the lot at 36 Pine St., near The Grandview in Poughkeepsie. A shuttle will take attendees to the service.

City of Poughkeepsie Fire Chief Mark Johnson said the procession will leave the funeral home around 9:30 a.m., and they plan to arrive at the Civic Center at 10:30 a.m.

East Fishkill Police Lt. Matthew Orsino said there will be no closures on Route 82, but police will be stationed at major intersections to help with traffic flow.

Thousands attended the calling hours for Gunther Saturday at the McHoul Funeral Home in Hopewell Junction. A similar turnout is expected Monday, as firefighters travel from Connecticut, New York City and throughout Dutchess and Ulster counties to take part in the funeral procession.

"We knew each other professionally," Joe Kovalsky, a firefighter for the City of Danbury in Connecticut, said at Gunther's wake. "I wasn't lucky enough to know him personally, like the guys who worked with him. But anybody I ever talked to only had the best things to say about Tim."

Amanda Purcell: apurcell@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4807; Facebook.com/pojopurcell; Twitter: @amandajpurcell. Journal reporter Geoff Wilson contributed.

Live coverage Monday

Visit www.poughkeepsiejournal.com Monday morning, and follow @PokJournal on Twitter, as the City of Poughkeepsie remembers firefighter Timothy Gunther in funeral services. The Journal site will have the latest photos and video from the procession, as well as a story that will be updated through the morning. On social media, use #TimGunther to find Tweets from the Journal staff, and to share your thoughts and photos with the community.