Richard Buongiorne may have been one of Kendall’s newest firefighters, but his impact on the department he loved will be felt far longer than the short time he served.

Buongiorne was fatally injured on January 9 when he was struck by two vehicles while he was directing traffic at the intersection of Routes 18 and 237 in the Town of Kendall. The investigation into the tragedy has been closed with the ruling that it was an accident. None of the involved parties was found to be at fault.

Buongiorne had been a member of the Kendall Fire Department since September.

Kendall Fire Chief Doug Jones remembers the day that Buongiorne came to Jones’ doorstep last summer and said he wanted to help his home town. Little did Jones know at that initial meeting what a dedicated and enthusiastic volunteer Buongiorne would be.

"After every class he took," Jones said of Buongiorne, "he would let me know how much he enjoyed it. He ran with the training like a kid with a bag full of Hershey kisses."

Deputy Chief Charles "Skip" Snell said that Buongiorne was "one of the most willing members we’ve ever had. He showed an interest in all aspects of our operation."

Lieutenant Daren Lang, who grew up around the corner from Buongiorne in the rural community, agreed. "If anybody asked him to do something, he’d do it. He didn’t pick and choose his assignments."

Ironically, Kendall firefighters had been scheduled for their annual physicals the night of the accident. A blowing snow storm canceled the exams; instead Buongiorne answered the fire call. Lang describes the Route 18 and 237 intersection as the "most problematic intersection in the town." It is unquestionably the most heavily traveled area of Kendall. "Even though the weather was bad that night," Lang said, "there were still a lot of cars on the road. There was a lot going on in town that night."

Buongiorne’s death marks the first loss of a Kendall firefighter in the line of duty, according to Chief Jones. "His loss is felt not just by us here in Kendall, but by all the departments in the area and across the country. When a fellow firefighter goes, we all feel it. There is a bond between us that distance doesn’t affect." Jones said the department has received condolences from Boston to California.

Buongiorne joined the Kendall Fire Department in the fall with his grandson. "It was going to be a way for them to do something together," Lang said. "But mostly we remember how determined he was to give something back to the community he loved."

Jones said the Kendall Fire Department hasn’t lost Buongiorne just for the present, but for many years to come. "I could foresee that he was going to be a very key player in this department if he had had the chance. And I could imagine that his involvement might have grown beyond Kendall, the western New York or even state level. He had a lot to offer in many different ways."

Richard Buongiorne was predeceased by his brother, Andrew. He is survived by his wife, Betty; children, Richard Jr., Michael, Sheree (Tim) Moors, Jill (Jack) Motzer, Donnette (Frank) Herring and Vickie (Jonah) Herring; grandchildren, Dawna, Marc, Brian, Amanda, Andrew, Amber, Joseph and Justin; his parents, Arthur and Mary; brother, Donald (Sis); sisters Christine Gilson, Debra Kinder and Cynthia Schultz. He as an employee of Delphi.

Services were held January 13 at the Concordian Lutheran Church, Kendall.