When beloved Hoboken firefighter Bill Bergin died last month, the community was determined to keep his legacy alive.
Bergin served Hoboken from 1960 until his death. He was a firefighter, union president and deputy chief.
Bergin worked hard to tell the stories of Hoboken's firefighters by gathering artifacts and starting the Hoboken Fire Museum, part of the Historical Museum. The Fire Museum is in a retired firehouse which is hundreds of years old.
Basketball coach Greg Herenda says he knew Bergin as "Uncle Billy." He says the American flag Bergin donated to the gymnasium he works at will always remind him of his family.
Community members say the museum's collection was cataloged in Bergin's mind, so some of the old stories passed with him.
Bob Foster, director of the Hoboken Historical Museum, says he wants to work with the city and the fire department to officially catalog the artifacts in the museum.