FDNY firefighter, who served after September 11, laid to rest in the Capital Region

SARATOGA COUNTY (WRGB) – A member of the New York City Fire Department and Vietnam veteran was laid to rest in Saratoga County Monday.

Dennis Heaney moved to Ballston Spa from New Jersey a few years ago, and died after a battle with lung cancer last week.

Heaney served with the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, and then went on to be an FDNY firefighter for more than 20 years. He responded on September 11th and worked at Ground Zero for at least three months.

His funeral mass was held Monday morning at Corpus Christi Church in Round Lake, followed by the burial at Saratoga National Cemetery.

Nearly 50 members of the FDNY drove up for the services. The firefighters and the Patriot Guard Riders gave Heaney full honors outside of the church.

Heaney’s fellow firefighters said it was an honor and privilege to come up and pay their respects. They say Heaney was a great leader and firefighter.

“He always did everything to the T, always set a good example for the younger guys, and was meticulous in everything he did," firefighter Pascal LaMarco said.

"We worked together for a lot of years, I think it was about 15 years,” firefighter Lt. Anthony Rocco said. “He's the type of guy that led by example. He was great at fires, and taught me a lot about fires.”

His family says Heaney loved to smile and had a great sense of humor, but most importantly, he was the definition of a true American Hero.

“People like Dennis and these other firefighters and first responders who put their lives at risk to protect other people - that is the definition of a hero,” Kevin Heaney, Dennis’ brother said.