William Tolley - Firefighter Fatality - New York City

William Tolley

Firefighter William Tolley, age 42, of Bethpage, New York, died in the line of duty on April 20, 2017, at a hospital in New York City.

Firefighter Tolley was a member of the New York City Fire Department. He was based at Firehouse 286/Ladder 135. He had 14 years of service.

He had also served as a junior firefighter in Bethpage and volunteered for years with the Hicksville Fire Department.

William was called Billy by many of his friends and family.

In the early afternoon of April 20, William and numerous other firefighters responded to a fire in a second floor apartment of a five story building in Queens.

William was accessing the roof of the building when he fell five stories.

William was rushed to a local hospital where, tragically, he succumbed to his injuries.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

In his free time, William played drums in a Long Island metal band. His bandmates

Florian, Patron Saint of
Firefighters, pray for William
and for those who have lost
him.

will forever miss him.

An educational fund site has been set up for William Tolley's daughter.

Friends describe William as a gentleman who was kind in spirit.

The members of the New York City Fire Department are in mourning over the death of their brother. William was a well-respected professional and a mentor to many others during his career. He will be forever remembered.

William's loved ones are devastated over his sudden and tragic death. He was loving and was loved in return. He did his best. He will be forever mourned.

William is survived by many loving comrades, friends and family members including his wife, Marie and his eight year old daughter, Isabella.

Thank you for your service to the community, William. 

Pray for all who die in the line of duty.

Pray for all who die by misadventure. They are with us one moment and are gone before we can say goodbye.

Pray that William is in Heaven. Pray that he is at peace and is with God. Amen.