‘Incredibly hard': Chicago fire captain's children honor him in final goodbye

A supportive father, a generous friend, a loving husband and a devoted hero -- that is how Chicago Fire. Capt. David Meyer was remembered by those closest to him as he was laid to rest Tuesday.

Stories of humorous pranks and moments of unquestioning kindness filled the Niles church where firefighters from across the country gathered to pay their respects as the father of four was honored just one week after he was killed in the line of duty in Chicago.

Meyer was critically injured last Wednesday when a garage collapsed after firefighters put out a blaze in the city's Austin neighborhood. He was rushed to an area hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

"David John Meyer was an amazing father to me and my three siblings, a devoted grandfather and a loving husband to our mom for the past 32 years," his daughter Kaitlyn Meyer said during the service Tuesday. "And losing him has been incredibly hard on everyone in our family and those in this room. My dad wasn't just physically present in our lives, he showed us his love throughout all the thoughtful gestures that made each moment feel special."

Thoughtful gestures like driving his daughter to several ice cream shops to cheer her up after a hospital visit when she was young, searching endlessly for a specific flavor of ice cream she was hoping for.

"Instead of giving up, dad got creative. He bought a chocolate shake and a banana shake and mixed them right there in the car. He handed it to me like it was a five-star dessert, smiling like he solved the world's biggest problem. It was the best ice cream I ever had," Kaitlyn Meyer said. "Not because of how it tasted, but because of what it meant. It meant he loved me enough to go out of his way without complaining, just to bring me a little bit of happiness when I needed it most."

Or showing up to sporting events and special moments.

If you ever wanted to understand the kind of father mine was, you just had to come to one of my skating competitions. It didn't matter if he was working at the firehouse or if he just finished a long shift, he was there every single time," Alyssa Meyer said. "Without fail, he chilled with flowers in one hand and a Starbucks Strawberry Refresher in the other just for me. It became our little tradition. He knew I got nervous before skating, so he would hide somewhere in the stadium, just out of sight. He didn't want to distract me, he just wanted to be there, quietly supporting me in the background ... It's hard to put in the words what kind of love it feels like. It's steady, it's patient, it's unconditional."

Meyer's humor and a love of pranks didn't go unnoticed as many shared stories of the 28-year fire department veteran's love of laughter. As his colleagues put it, "no one was safe from Dave's hijinks."

"He wanted to name me Harley because his name was David... and say 'Hey, there's Harley, David's son," his son, Michael Meyer said. "He never wanted to let me live that one down so... Instead, he named me Michael, and now I'm named Michael Meyer, so go figure."

But it was David Meyer's giving spirit that rang loudest.

"He was a giver of his talents, he was a giver of his time, he was a giver of his home ... He would open his home to you and you were welcomed like you were family. And that's a very rare thing to find," said CFD Battalion Chief Joel Burns.

The 54-year-old Meyer voluntarily drove to New York after the Sept. 11 attacks to help search for survivors -- for days on end. And each year after that, he called other 9/11 rescuers to check on them.

The investigation into the Chicago fire that killed Meyer remains ongoing, but officials said preliminary findings revealed a fire was deliberately set in a nearby trash bin that ultimately spread to the garage. The fire was one of at least a half dozen trash can fires set in the area in recent weeks.

A suspect has been arrested and charged with murder and arson in the case, according to Chicago police.

In a final token of remembrance, Meyer's son was handed his father's helmet during the services Tuesday.

Michael Meyer place his head on his father's helmet before holding it tight to his chest.

"I love you, dad," he said.