Fallen Boston firefighter Bobby Kilduff's children, partner say "his favorite job was being a dad"

The children of fallen Boston firefighter Robert "Bobby" Kilduff Jr. spoke in public Friday for the first time since his death, saying his "favorite job was being a dad." 

Kilduff died after falling three floors while fighting a fire at a house in Dorchester on Saturday, May 23. Everyone inside escaped safely.

Hanna Jane Kilduff, Mason Kilduff and their father's longtime partner, Jess Spruell, spoke to reporters at the Rescue Company 2 firehouse in Roxbury, where he worked.  

"He loved being a dad"

They remembered the firefighter of 24 years as a family man who adored his children.  

"He'd never miss a phone call from us," Hanna Jane told reporters.  

"I don't think I ever got to his voicemail ever, no matter what time it was, " Mason smiled. "It was the little things. He'd never let you stress out about anything. He would do anything for you." 

"He loved his kids so much. He would do anything for them," Spruell said.  

Mason said he had a minor medical emergency recently while stationed with the U.S. Marines in North Carolina. His father, a Marine veteran, flew down that same day. 

"At the drop of a hat he'd come see you," Mason explained. "I was like, 'I'm fine. I'm completely fine.' He was like, 'Yeah, I thought I'd just come hang out with you.'" 

Spruell said that Bobby's love of being a father spread to her own children. He had recently flown out to Seattle to watch her oldest daughter in a musical.  

"I want to emphasize how much he loved being a dad," Spruell said.  

They remembered Kilduff as "the best kind of person" who had a great sense of humor, remained grounded and "prioritized the journey over the destination."  

"We always had a thing growing up, where if we were walking and saw a bench, we'd do a bench check. It was just a moment where we'd sit on the bench and we would look around. Just kind of be like 'That's nice. It's nice to relax. It's nice just to take it slow," explained Mason.  

"He put a lot of emphasis on making sure that we were present and appreciating where we were at, not rushing life, not rushing things," Hanna Jane said.

Third-generation firefighter

They explained that from a young age, Kilduff ensured he kept the hard parts of his job private from his family. He would frequently come home from a long shift and sit on the couch with his children to watch a movie.  

"It was never too serious, which I think is a contrast between his job. What he was facing on a daily basis. He was taking such great care to not bring that home," Hanna Jane remembered.

But Kilduff ensured that his children knew what to do in an emergency.  

"He would always say that if something goes wrong, to look for the helpers," said Hanna Jane. "He was a helper. Even when I was younger, I understood what that meant."  

He explained to his children that he loved his job.

"I think he would instill that in us even when we were younger. He would remind us why he was doing the job and how it was so much bigger than just a career," Hanna Jane said. "It was being a part of something."

Kilduff was a third-generation firefighter. He also had the opportunity to work alongside his father and would recount the stories of fighting fires to his own children. Hanna and Mason explained that the conversations would frequently loop back around to the type of man their grandfather was and how much he wished he was there to see them go through important milestones.  

"He loved his dad, but he would always say, 'I want to be the dad to you guys that I wanted as a kid,'" Mason remarked.  

Both Hanna and Mason agreed that they felt grateful to have had the father that they did and that they will miss him forever. 

"I had the dad that I wanted," Hanna said. "I feel kind of honored that I have a connection to such an amazing person." 

"I'm so proud of him," Spruell said.

Mason finished by saying that there would be one thing that his father would want him to say to anyone watching. 

"If you're thinking about doing something and you want to do it. Pull the handle and do it," Mason smiled.  

The Tunnels to Towers Foundation said it will pay off Kilduff's mortgage and college expenses for both Mason and Hanna Jane.

The wake for Kilduff will be held Sunday from 3-to-7 p.m. at St. Theresa of Avila Parish on Centre Street in West Roxbury. The funeral service will be on Monday, June 1 at 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Washington Street in the South End.