(New Carlisle, IN) - Early Friday afternoon the sidewalks of New Carlisle slowly filled with people. They were silently beckoned by the sight of uniformed firefighters and two fire trucks on each side of Michigan Ave./U.S. 20. Their ladders, fully extended and crossing high above the roadway as if saluting, made a grand entrance into town. Townspeople were gathered not for a midday parade, but for a funeral procession.

 

On June 15, longtime firefighter Chris Antonucci (58) passed away from cancer. Not a line-of-duty death, but a heroic battle nonetheless. Antonucci began his 37-year career as a volunteer with the New Carlisle Fire Department, back when they relied on able-bodied locals to answer the call at a moment’s notice. Antonucci dedicated himself to the craft, rising through the ranks, serving for the past eleven years as the Fire Chief in Warren Township, just east of town. He also spent 15 years leading the University of Notre Dame’s Risk Management and Safety department.

 

Following a funeral Mass for Antonucci at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, mourners drove through New Carlisle to the town cemetery.

 

New Carlisle resident Tom Keen, who is himself battling stage-4 cancer, sat in his golf cart awaiting the procession. “When I left here in 1973, Chris was a young kid,” he reminisced. “When I moved back here in 2003, he was a grown man, and the minute I met him, we were friends.”

 

Antonucci, a 1984 New Prairie graduate, was an avid Harley rider, a chef known for his babyback ribs and Bloody Marys, and regular usher at his church. But he’ll be remembered for his personality.

 

“The first thing you’d notice about Chris was his smile,” said Keen. “He never wanted to talk about him; he always wanted to talk about you. He surely will be missed.”

 

As the procession made its way through town—fire trucks in front, motorcycles behind— members of the New Carlisle Fire Department stood at attention. Chief Josh Schweizer credited Antonucci for getting him started with his own career. “Chris has been a mentor,” he said. “He’s the one that got me into the fire service. He was a great leader, a great man. He will be sorely missed by New Carlisle, Warren Township, and the surrounding community.”

 

Firefighters followed the procession to the cemetery and joined Antonnuci on his final call to eternal rest. Chris Antonucci leaves behind his wife of 22 years, Linda, three children, four grandchildren, two beloved cats… and a grateful community.