Island Park charity to pay down mortgage of fallen FDNY hero Casey Skudin
FDNY firefighter Casey Skudin, seen here with his family, died Friday, June 17, 2022, in Asheville, N.C. Credit: Angela Skudin
A charity that assists veterans and their families announced Monday that it will pay down the mortgage of a Long Beach woman whose FDNY hero husband was killed while vacationing in North Carolina earlier this year.
Building Homes for Heroes said the holiday gift for Angela Skudin is the first assistance it has provided to the family of a fallen FDNY firefighter. The Island Park organization recently received approval from New York state regulators to raise funds for its new housing program assisting police, firefighters and other first responders.
Casey Skudin, 45, was on a family vacation in June to celebrate his birthday and Father’s Day when a 2,000-pound tree limb fell on his vehicle as he drove with his wife and sons up the driveway of the Biltmore Estate. The 250-room castle, built by George Vanderbilt, is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina.
“In an instant, I lost the love of my life," Angela Skudin said. "There have been moments since then when it all feels too overwhelming. This outreach from the Building Homes for Heroes team not only honors my late husband's service, but it keeps us in our home so we can focus on healing."
Skudin, a 16-year FDNY veteran assigned to Ladder 137 in the Rockaways, had twice been recognized by the department for his bravery, including his part in the water rescue of a surfer in November 2009. He was the valedictorian of his fire academy class and a longtime lifeguard for the Town of Hempstead.
Casey Skudin was short of the 20-year mark required to secure a full pension, Building Homes for Heroes said. The Skudins' 10-year-old son, C.J., struggled with spinal fractures and other health issues related to the accident.
"Casey and Angela's story is tragic, and it underscores the importance of our decision to take our home-for-veterans' program and expand it to first responders and their families," said Building Homes for Heroes' founder Andy Pujol, who created the group after volunteering in the search and rescue operations at the World Trade Center after 9/11. "It's extra special for our organization, based in Island Park, to help a family here in our own coastal community," the businessman said.
In July, Angela Skudin filed a lawsuit in Buncombe County, North Carolina, that claimed the Biltmore exhibited “gross negligence and recklessness” because it "knowingly and intentionally kept a massive, rotted tree on its property next to a main road where defendants knew it would cause great harm when it fell.”
Her attorney, Kyle Findley of Arnold & Itkin in Houston, did not return a call for comment.
Building Homes for Heroes has constructed and modified homes for injured veterans for 17 years. It provided its 300th home to a veteran in September and hopes to deliver number 343 around Sept. 11, 2023, to honor the 343 FDNY members who died on 9/11.
