Buda ‘made time to help everyone’
BRIDGEPORT — The city firefighter who died last week after falling while rock climbing in New York was remembered in his obituary as someone who “made time to help everyone.”
Visitation services for Stephen M. Buda III are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at St. Patrick’s Church at 851
North Ave. in Bridgeport, followed by a Mass at 1:30 p.m., according to his obituary. Interment will be private.
Buda, a 56-year-old New Haven resident, was rock climbing Sept. 6 in a popular spot of the Trapps Bridge section of the Mohonk Preserve in Gardiner, N.Y., according to a report from the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office. The report said Buda, who was not
wearing climbing safety equipment, reached about 150 to 175 feet of the roughly 200-foot section of the climb when he fell.
The Bridgeport Fire Department, where Buda served as a pump engineer, said rock climbing with his favorite hobby.
“He truly loved his job and took great pride in assisting those in need for the past eight years,” an obituary for Buda said. He was hired by the department in August 2013.
Before joining the ranks in Bridgeport, Buda served as a volunteer firefighter in Woodbridge for nine years. His obituary said Buda was also an instructor at the Valley Fire School for nine years.
At the time of his death, Buda’s obituary said, he was pursuing a degree in fire science from the University of New Haven.
Aside from rock climbing, Buda’s other hobbies included building and remodeling homes, boats, bikes, campers and more, his obituary said.
“But above all, he was a loving and dedicated husband, father and friend, who made time to help everyone,” it said.
Buda is survived by his wife of 31 years, Roxana Rohrhirsch Buda, his two daughters, his parents, his siblings and other extended family members and many friends, his obituary said.
“Stephen was a lifelong learner who enjoyed exploring new subjects, creating something from nothing, and sharing his knowledge with those around him,” his obituary said. “He was passionate about protecting the environment and found the jungle to be an important resource to preserve.”
In lieu of flowers, Buda’s family asked for memorial donations in his honor to MakeHaven, VineTrust or the University of New Haven annual fund.