By Cynthia Koons
Stack, a commander with Battalion 50 in Jamaica, left a fire scene investigation the morning of the terrorist attacks when he was called to the World Trade Center just minutes before the towers collapsed.The street where he grew up, 123rd Street between 9th and 11th avenues, was renamed for him in December.But neighbors said that since the renaming, his father, who had owned the house, died. The father's sister, Eileen Stack, sold the property and a developer drew up plans to knock down the family's house and build two multiple-family homes in its place, neighbors said.”I went to Holy Cross to pick up my son and whoa, it was gone,” said John Romano, a next-door neighbor.He said the demolition took place July 14 and was completed in 20 minutes.Building two multiple-family dwellings would not be out of character for the street, which is mostly comprised of two- and three-family houses.The Stack family had lived in the home for many years, the neighbors said. Lawrence Stack grew up with his family in one apartment, and Eileen Stack and her sister lived in another, Romano said.Stack died Sept. 11 after he had successfully evacuated two lieutenants before the tower he was in collapsed. He was called to the Trade Center from an Astoria fire scene that he was investigating. He was 57.The street renaming, which took place in December, brought dozens of relatives, firefighters, civics and friends to the street, which now has a gaping hole where the Stack family lived.A companion dog was named for “Larry,” in honor of Lawrence Stack, and was being trained as a companion animal for disabled people.He was named for the firefighter after his family made a donation to an organization that raises companion animals. At the Stack house, the front steps to the house still stood, but the entire building was reduced to rubble. A photo was affixed to the fence, but neighbors said it was not of Stack.At the street renaming, brother Brian Stack said the family had a legacy in the neighborhood.”My father and his family have lived in College Point and his relatives have lived in this town for over 100 years,” Brian Stack said.The neighbors said they were well aware the demolition was going to take place. It was only a matter of time, they said, until the permitting process was completed and the house destroyed.Reach reporter Cynthia Koons by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 141.
