Christopher Revere Sr., 9/11 first responder, dies at 66

It was always about the FDNY, family and softball for Christopher Revere Sr.

He had deep love for his years as a first responder and when he wasn’t at the firehouse, he could be found with family, or racing around the bases in a men’s softball tournament.

Revere, a physical fitness buff and local softball legend, was affectionately nicknamed "Tic Tac Chris" for always running the bases with a box of Tic Tacs in his pocket.

Revere, a member of Engine 289, Tower Ladder Co. 138 in Corona, Queens, died Wednesday after a battle with cancer at the VNS hospice house in East Northport, his family said. He was 66.

“In true Chris fashion, he drew his last breath at 9:11 a.m. [on Wednesday],” his wife, Kimberly Revere, said. “It is truly a sign that he is with The Father and our son.”

The Reveres' son, Dylan, a staff sergeant in the United States Air Force, died on Sept. 23, 2024, at 34.

A Kings Park resident, Revere Sr. joined the fire department in 1987. He retired there in January 2003.

Worked the 'pile with conviction'

Revere was part of the rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero after the attacks on 9/11. Kimberly Revere said her husband suffered from multiple cancers due to the toxic and hazardous conditions at Ground Zero.

“It had been established that the cause of his metastatic prostate cancer was attributed to a 9/11 injury and the 9/11 fund was paying for all of his treatments,” she said. “It’s all documented from the early skin cancers to the left eye orbital cancer in 2016 when he almost lost his sight. The dermatologist said that cancer in the eye orbit was one of the cancers they’d seen with other people from 9/11.”

Kimberly said her husband worked at Ground Zero from Sept. 12, 2001, until it was closed.

“He worked that pile with conviction,” she said. “And then he went to Staten Island to find body parts in the debris trucked there from Ground Zero. He was committed to helping people find comfort.”

Revere was born in Brooklyn and grew up in Kings Park, graduating from Kings Park High School in 1976. His love for baseball started in Little League and through his playing days on the varsity team for the Kingsmen.

He worked for seven years at a custom upholstery and drapes company before starting a five-year career in the NYPD in 1982.

'Got to keep him'

He met Kimberly deWall in 1978 and the two were married on June 23, 1984. Their love story is unique. Kim loves to tell it as if she won the lottery.

"We were friends for about six years before we dated,” she said. “We used to hang out and go to Grateful Dead shows like buddies. He dated some of my friends before me. And we had built such a foundation of friendship, and I ultimately got to keep him.”

The two enjoyed 40-plus years of marriage. They had two boys, Dylan and Christopher Jr., and adopted two girls, Monica and Gabrielle.

“Chris was a family man first and foremost,” said Jimmy Goelz of St. James, a former FDNY battalion chief. “He was a fierce and courageous person whether he was playing ball or fighting a fire. He was an incredible person — a loyal friend. He legitimately cared about people. That’s what made him a great firefighter and wonderful teammate.”

Reflecting on his life earlier this week, Revere echoed that he lived a fantastic life because he got to spend a lifetime with his true love.

“I’ve been blessed with a good woman,” he said. “She was my angel, my everything. I’ve always thought of myself as a very lucky man to have such a beautiful, compassionate wife.”

The two traveled to Greece in September after doctors provided a grim diagnosis.

“We lost a hero,” said Debi Young of Kings Park, who served as a bridesmaid for their wedding. “Chris is not just a hero because he served as a NYC firefighter and as a member of the NYPD. Chris is a hero, not just because after losing his buddies on 9/11 he valiantly worked the pile looking for them for hours that became days and then weeks that never ended. Chris was a hero to his wife, his sons, his adopted daughters and his entire extended family and network of friends, including his FDNY softball team. He was the quintessential good guy, always with a warm smile and practical life advice.”

He is survived by his mother, Dolores Revere of Kings Park, father Joseph Revere Sr. and stepmother Lana Revere of Manorville, sisters Linda Revere Lynch of Northport and Kathleen Picciano of Kings Park, brothers Terrence Revere of Smithtown and Joseph Revere Jr. of Kings Park, son Christopher Revere Jr. of Florida, daughters Monica Revere of White Plains and Gabrielle Revere of West Virginia, daughter-in-law Frances Revere, and stepgrandson Corbin Focht of Queens.

Reposing is at Clayton Funeral Home, 25 Meadow Rd. in Kings Park, from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday. A funeral Mass will be held Monday at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Church, 74 Old Dock Rd. in Kings Park, and will be livestreamed at stjoekp.com.

A burial will follow at the Holy Cross Polish National Catholic Cemetery on Old Commack Road in Commack, with a reception to follow at the Kings Park firehouse on Main Street. The family asks that donations be made to the Wounded Warrior Project and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

By Gregg Sarra

gregg.sarra@newsday.com@Gregg_Sarra

Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.