By Karenlyn Barone
A 64-year resident of Long Island, Schamroth moved to New York from Belgium in 1939. She had two children, five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren and, at 90 years old, led a very independent life. Adept with her hands, Schamroth did needlework, sewing and loved to cook. She found time to volunteer and was a kind woman known affectionately to all as "Ba-Ba."
"She was a loving woman who devoted herself to her family and her community in every way," said her son, Michael, of Hewlett Bay Park.
The 90-year-old woman, who lived alone in the two-bedroom, one-story home at 180 Charing Cross, called 911 at 2:50 p.m. last Thursday and said her kitchen was on fire.
Lynbrook police officers and firefighters responded quickly to the call, and two firefighters were injured slightly in attempting to rescue Schamroth from the burning house.
"The Lynbrook Fire Department did such a wonderful, wonderful job of getting there so soon and in helping my mother-in-law," said Marilyn Schamroth of Hewlett Bay Park. "The word hero is so hackneyed nowadays, but they really are the everyday heroes."
Lynbrook police officers were first on the scene and found the house blanketed in heavy smoke and flames shooting out of a rear window. The officers, John Reichert and Tony Zee, heard cries from inside the house and tried to break down the front door, but were driven back by the black smoke and intense heat. Zee located a garden hose on the side of the house, but the main outside water supply had been turned off for the winter.
Lynbrook firefighters arrived moments later, and rookie firefighter Raymond Bookman, finding the back door locked, forced the door open. As heavy black smoke billowed out the door, Captain Corey Callahan got down on his stomach and crawled into the house to search for Schamroth.
Callahan heard Schamroth's faint cries and followed them until he finally located her on the floor in the dining room. By this time, the back of the house was consumed by flames, so Callahan had to take Schamroth out through the front door. As he prepared to carry the woman to safety, his fire helmet fell off and he sustained burns to his ears, the top of his head and the side of his face.
Schamroth was alive and semi-conscious when members of the Lynbrook Emergency Medical Company treated her. Schamroth was transported to South Nassau Communities Hospital, suffering from smoke inhalation and second-degree burns over 40 percent of her legs. She died an hour later at South Nassau.
Callahan was transported by the East Rockaway Fire Department ambulance to the Nassau University Medical Center for treatment of his second-degree burns. He was treated and released that night. A second firefighter was injured by glass at the scene and was treated by the medical company.
Lynbrook firefighters brought the fire under control in about 20 minutes. It took an additional hour to fully extinguish the blaze. The Nassau County Fire Marshal's Office is still investigating the cause of the fire, which is not considered suspicious. Damage was estimated at between $150,000 and $200,000.
Schamroth's family is thankful for the efforts of all volunteers who aided her that fateful day. In speaking of the efforts of the fire department and the personnel at the hospital, Michael said, "The care and understanding of these individuals for the victims and the families...goes above what is normally done."
Lynbrook's Fire Chief John J. Crowley Jr. also praised the heroic efforts of his volunteers and expressed his sympathy for Schamroth's family. "We are all neighbors and when the community suffers a tragic loss, such as this, we feel it very deeply," said Crowley.
Schamroth is survived by her son, Michael, of Hewlett Bay Park and daughter, Clarisse, of New York City. She was a loving and devoted grandmother to 5 grandchilden and 8 great-grandchildren.
Her family has established a memorial fund to keep her spirit alive. The Lotty Schamroth Memorial Fund is to benefit The South Nassau Communities Hospital SIBS Place, a support program for the well siblings of children with cancer or other devastating illnesses. The program address the emotional needs of the "well" child, who often has feelings of rejection and abandonment relating to their sibling's illness.
"We will ensure my mother's legacy by utilizing contributions made to her memorial fund so that other children may benefit from friend's thoughtfulness," said Lotty's son, Michael.
Steve Grogan of the Lynbrook Fire Department contributed to this story.
Memorial Fund
People can send donations to: The Lotty Schamroth Memorial Fund c/o The Development Office, South Nassau Communities Hospital, One Healthy Way, Oceanside, N.Y. 11572. The fund will beneift SIBS Place, a support program for the siblings of children with cancer or other devastating illnesses.
