by JOHN LAUINGER and PAUL H.B. SHIN
At the Long Island Church where FDNY Lt. Howard Carpluk celebrated the milestones of his life, thousands gathered yesterday to pay tribute to the beloved family man and leader who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Windswept rain fell on row after row of firefighters forming a sea of blue uniforms outside of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in East Islip, which was filled to capacity. It was the same modest chapel where Carpluk, 43, married his high school sweetheart, Debra, and where their two children - Bradley, 14, and Paige, 10 - were baptized. "I cannot put into words the depth of my sorrow and my loss," his widow said, choking up several times during her emotional eulogy. "What I thought I knew about Howie was that he touched many people. But what I've learned about him in the past few days is that he not only touched these people, he embraced them," she said. "There was just no containing Howie to one aspect of his life. He had to do it all," Debra Carpluk added. "I truly believe he would not have done anything differently regardless of the outcome." Lt. Stephen Wall, who served with Carpluk at Engine 42 in the Bronx, recalled the 20-year FDNY veteran's leadership in the dark days following 9/11. "Howie was a bright light in a troubled time," Wall said. "It was due to the efforts of Howie Carpluk - and I can't stress this enough - that the continuity in the company was preserved." A fire engine carried Carpluk's coffin through the rain-drenched streets, which were flanked by walls of firefighters standing shoulder to shoulder, some hailing from as far away as Texas. Carpluk died Monday from injuries he suffered while battling a three-alarm blaze last Sunday at a 99-cent store in the Bronx. Probie Firefighter Michael Reilly, 25, also died from injuries when the floor collapsed. He was laid to rest Friday. Investigators are still looking into the cause of the tragedy. Wall said he will forever remember Carpluk's iconic image as he stood outside the burning store Sunday: "Helmet on, buttoned up, masked up, concerned about his brothers inside and begging for the chance to go in and do his job." Carpluk's good friend Frank Kobel said the fallen firefighter lived each day to the fullest. "Don't feel sorry for those who loved him. We feel sorry for those who never met him," Kobel said. "Everything you hear about Howie being unselfish is true," agreed Sal Ciampi, who coached Carpluk when he was a backup quarterback to football great Boomer Esiason at East Islip High School. "He was a great team player, just as he was with the Fire Department," Ciampi said of Carpluk. Esiason attended yesterday's Mass, along with Mayor Bloomberg and FDNY Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta. "Last Sunday, when Lt. Carpluk gave a final lesson to Michael Reilly, he was doing the two things he loved most - fighting a fire and teaching," Bloomberg said.
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