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“They had a son,” neighbor Pier Rondin said. “I heard that the house was the only possession the old couple had to pass on to him.”
Their Myrtle Avenue house went up in flames on New Year’s Eve, claiming both of the lives.
Anna Ryczek, 72, perished in the two-alarm blaze. Her 74-year-old husband was airlifted to a hospital but died of his injuries, authorities said Wednesday.
“In a way, his passing was a blessing,” Rondin said. “They remain inseparable.”
Their beloved cat was killed, as well.
Rondin and his son had taken their dogs for a walk when they spotted smoke coming from the Ryczeks’ kitchen around 5 p.m. Then came the sirens.
Rondin knew that the Polish immigrant couple who'd lived next door the past 15 years were home: Their car was in the driveway.
He feared the worst.
The blaze was declared under control around 6:30 p.m. Two firefighters were treated for injuries that weren’t life-threatening, responders said.
On Wednesday, the Rondins laid a wreath and some flowers at steps of the house.
“This was a reminder: never fail to say “I love you” when parting, never go to bed angry, test the context of your differences, no matter how bad things get,” he said. “If you have each other, you have the universe.
“Never assume you will get away unscathed from life. Death came a-visiting next door. It could have skipped a door. It happens.”
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