Funeral Wednesday for firefighter who fought to keep memory of 9/11 alive
It was Bloomington firefighter Robert Loviscek Jr. who hauled an 1,800-pound steel I-beam salvaged from the World Trade Center to Bloomington as a monument and forever reminder of what happened Sept. 11, 2001.
The U.S. Marine Corps veteran, who died July 5 while visiting his family's Monticello lake house, worked two years to acquire the 12-foot-long beam. It was among nearly 2 million tons of rubble workers cleared from the site where terrorists flew planes into the twin towers.
Loviscek solemnly ushered the relic, covered with an American flag, about 800 miles from New York City to Bloomington on a flatbed trailer in 2011.
More: Read Robert Loviscek Jr.'s obituary
He became the caretaker of the beam, promising it would become part of a public 9/11 memorial so people could see and touch an artifact Loviscek called "a tangible reminder of the tragedy and the bravery that took place on that fateful day.”
For a year, he hauled it to fairs, festivals and parades around southern Indiana for people to see, to remind them of a tragedy he worried would fade into history.
Loviscek was 53 when he died, and was the logistics officer for the Bloomington Fire Department. He worked there 20 years and had been president of the firefighters' union.
“When someone earns the title of firefighter, they do so making a life-long commitment of self-sacrifice and putting service over self," Bloomington Fire Department Chief Jason Moore said in a written statement.
"Bob Loviscek spent his life honoring that commitment and served our community well, We sincerely appreciate the community support for Bob’s family and our department members as we try to navigate the world without Bob.”
Loviscek organized dinners for people who retired and fundraisers for those in need. He helped plan funerals and served as a member of the honor guard at public events and burials.
In 2016, the 9/11 beam he brought to Bloomington was installed in a permanent 9/11 memorial on the grounds of Ivy Tech Community College. That's where Loviscek's funeral is being held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 13, in Shreve Auditorium.
Everyone who attends can visit the 9/11 memorial, a battered and rusted piece of steel filled with concrete and studded with rebar. Loviscek would have liked that.
Donations in his memory may be made to the Hit’n It Hard from the Yard firefighting training program or the Monroe County Veteran’s Honor Guard in care of The Funeral Chapel in Bloomington.
Contact reporter Laura Lane at llane@heraldt.com, 812-331-4362 or 812-318-5967.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington firefighter Robert Loviscek memorial services Wednesday
