Services Set Thursday and Friday For CFD Engineer Who Died During Equipment Test

CHICAGO—Services have been set for CFD Engineer Steven M. Decker, who died May 14 during a training exercise on Chicago’s North Side.

The 61-year-old firefighter was running annual equipment tests on the 6600 block of North Kedzie Avenue when he suffered a medical emergency. Decker, who was due to retire in November, was rushed to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he later died.

The Cook County Medical Examiner attributed Decker’s death to natural causes. Decker’s is the second line-of-duty death the Chicago Fire Department has endured this spring.

Visitation will take place from 2 to 8 p.m. Thursday, May 21, at Colonial-Wojciechowski Funeral Homes, 6250 N. Milwaukee, Chicago. Under the direction of the Heneghan-Suerth Directors, the procession will leave Colonial at 9 a.m. Friday, May 22, for the 10 a.m. funeral service at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 5650 N. Canfield Ave., Chicago.

Decker was a well-respected and proud firefighter for over 30 years, especially to his beloved crew on 1st shift at Engine Co. 71 in the West Ridge Neighborhood. He leaves his wife, Colleen; a son, Matt, a firefighter in Iowa; stepchildren Brian and Sarah Godawa; and grandfather and step-grandfather of three. Read the complete obituary.

In lieu of flowers, the Decker family is asking that donations be made in Steven’s name to the NY-based Tunnels to Towers Foundation, which provides mortgage-free homes and accessibility modifications for families of fallen or catastrophically injured first responders.