Keith G. Fairben: Still riding
Think of Keith, and by all accounts from those who know and love him, laughter is the first thing that comes to mind. Laughter, loyalty to family and friends, service to his community. These attributes are what continue to define Keith: beloved son, cherished friend, respected EMS professional, and of course, 9/11 hero.
Keith Fairben was 24 years old on September 11, 2001. The only child of Ken and Diane, Keith grew up knowing that service to others matters.
Diane was a school teacher and father Ken was a funeral director, who was (and is still) also active in the local volunteer Fire Dept.
Keith looked to his dad as his role model as he was growing up. Diane says that Ken "is a funny guy," and it is obvious that Keith takes after him. Always with a smile, ready for a good laugh, Keith was always there for his friends, ready to help anyone. Says Diane: Any friend of Keith's knew that his door was always open for them. From his dad Keith also got his finely tuned sense of justice; like his dad, INjustice made Keith very angry.
From the NY Times following 9/11:
Keith Fairben: Big, Fast and Reassuring
Published: Friday, December 7, 2001
Keith Fairben was the adrenaline kid, always on the run, said his mother, Diane. He would get home from his job as a paramedic for New York Presbyterian Hospital, get on the cellphone, the home phone and his e- mail all at once, and then field calls from all his friends as they decided what movie to see that night or where to have dinner. Sometimes, to assuage the tension of his job, Mr. Fairben, 24, and his fellow paramedics would play practical jokes on their supervisor, Jack Delaney, one time smearing grease on his office doorknob so he couldn't get in.
But when Mr. Fairben was on the job he was in command, big and reassuring. And he was fast. Records of the Fire Department's Emergency Medical Service show that he and his partner, Mario Santoro, arrived at the World Trade Center within minutes after the first plane hit. They immediately got to work tending to the injured, running in and out of the building....(go here for more of their write up.)
A 'middle of the road' student according to his mother, making people laugh was what Keith was really good at. This child, born two weeks overdue, according to Diane: "... was all boy. Into boy stuff..." to the 6'4" gentle giant; there was nobody who met Keith who will ever forget him...
There is much more about this amazing young man, over at Assoluta Tranquillita here.
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