The Gesner Street Fire devastated many, many people. In the fire, tragically, four children passed away. Two from one family. Two from another.  It happened around the Fourth of July weekend. The story going around was that a firecracker was thrown.  It was thrown onto the porch of a home. It caught a sofa on fire. The fire spread up the wall of the home, igniting the entire block of homes.

Final Farewell was to provide, in cooperation with the other funeral homes, the caskets for four children as well as burial ground, through the generosity of the Catholic cemetery, Saint Peter & Paul, who lowered their price.  Final Farewell was able to come up with the finals for that.  Mr. De Christopher of De Christopher Brothers Monuments donated two gravestones to the family. And then through further connections of Final Farewell we reached out to Mr. Tom Kavakavich (?) and Mr. Clark at the Philadelphia Food Distribution Center to provide some food towards their repast or luncheon. They provide 1500 pounds of fresh vegetables and fruit in order for them to have a luncheon.

Retired Philly funeral director steps in to help arrange burials for kids killed in fire

by ELIZABETH FIEDLER

Funerals are being planned for the four children killed in a Southwest Philadelphia fire last month.

A former Philadelphia funeral director is doing what she can to help the grieving families by raising funds and working out the details for the burials next weekend.

Twin sisters will go in single grave

Patricia Quinn and her husband sold his family's Philadelphia funeral home business years ago in 2006. Now she is using her knowledge and her connections to help others. Through a nonprofit she started called Final Farewell, Quinn is helping plan and coordinate details for the funerals of the four children.

"The two twin sisters will go in one grave, and the two boys will go in another grave. Because they were two separate families," she said.

Quinn said Final Farewell was able to provide the caskets and the burial plot.

"We got other colleagues to donate the hearses and limos and also reached out to Greyhound to donate a bus," she said.

Quinn said a flower shop donated flowers, and she reached out to another business to donate the gravestones.

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