February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Benedict Smyth was due to fly to Ireland in August 2002 from his adopted New York home to meet up with his wife and two daughters, who were on vacation in Ireland. The night before his flight, he was severely burned when his apartment caught fire. He suffered burns over 50 percent of his body.
Despite six months specialist medical care, Smyth died on Jan. 28.
His remains were taken to Ireland for burial on Tuesday.
Known as Benny to his friends, he struggled hard to survive his injuries and for a time seemed to be recovering. After three months in Jacobi Hospital in the Bronx, he was transferred to the Weill Cornell Burns Center in Manhattan.
According to his friends, doctors fought daily to ward off infections and he suffered numerous painful skin grafts.
But it was all in vain, explained his friend Brendan O’Dowd, who worked with Smyth in carpentry when he first immigrated to New York in 1987 with his wife, Julie.
“We started to be more confident as the weeks and months went by, so it was a big shock when he died,” O’Dowd said.
“He worked for [my uncle and I] when he first came over and we stayed friends ever since.”
Even when in hospital, it was clear to doctors and to his family and friends that Smyth was too severely injured to work again.
Friends said his suffering during the six months spent in hospital was “unimaginable.”
The future remains uncertain for his wife, Julie, and their two daughters, Courtney, who’s 10, and 8-year-old Jammie.
So friends have decided to hold an all-day benefit at Behan’s pub on Katonah Avenue on Sunday, March 2.
Said O’Dowd: “John Creggan, who owns Behan’s, made a very generous donation and so the committee decided to have the event there.”
He said that the benefit would start at 2 p.m. and continue “until whenever.” Live music and food will be available and the committee set up in Smyth’s memory hope that funds will be raised to help Julie and the two girls through this difficult time.
“They took it very well at the wake,” O’Dowd said. “But I don’t think it has set in yet.”
Donations can also be made to The Smyth Family Benefit Fund, care of Country Bank, 4349 Katonah Ave., Bronx, NY 10470.
Further information about the benefit is available from either Brendan O’Dowd at (845) 342-6150 or James Foley at (914) 375-5735.