06/02/2026
It is with deep regret that the officers and members of Volunteer Hose Co. 2, West Haverstraw, share the passing of our brother, Anthony "Tony" Holdampf.
Tony instilled his firefighting enthusiasm in both his son David (FDNY and now 2nd Asst. Chief of the WHFD, and his son in law Robert âBobbyâ LaGrow, FDNY and Ex-Chief of the WHFD).
Tony served with the 101st Airborne Division and carried that sense of duty into a 37-year career with the NYC Fire Department. He began at Engine 43 in the Bronx before transferring to Ladder 19 in the South Bronx during the War Years of the late 1960s and 1970s, when arson and poverty turned entire neighborhoods to ash and firehouses ran around the clock. Tony was then a charter member of Tactical Control Unit 712, an elite unit deployed into the most dangerous fires in the city at the height of the crisis. After the War Years he served at 37 Truck before retiring from 52 Truck in Riverdale.
After retiring he volunteered with Volunteer Hose Company No. 2 of West Haverstraw, where he was a life member and was honored as Rockland County Fireman of the Year for his heroic actions in 2001 ( letter of award recommendation attached). His fellow firefighters said it best. âIf I'm in trouble, Tony is who I want beside me. No matter what, he had your back.â He never needed a reason to help someone. Once, after pulling a dog from a burning building, he gave it mouth to mouth until it came around. He did what he thought was right. That was Tony. And as he always said, âIt is what it is.â
Endlessly curious and remarkably capable, there was almost nothing he couldnât do with his hands. Whether it was electrical work, plumbing, carpentry, or sheetrock, he did it all. The members of Volunteer Hose are extremely grateful that Tony lent his construction abilities to many projects which are visible today around his firehouse. Tony was a quiet, impactful, generous soul with a witty sense of humor, the members will certainly miss our brother.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday June 3rd from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM at T.J. McGowan Sons Funeral Home, Central Hwy in Garnerville, NY. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, June 4 at 10 AM at St. Peter and St. Mary's Church, 115 Broadway, Haverstraw, New York.
