37-year-old Kevin Przybyl was honored and saluted alongside friends, family and fellow first responders at St. Gabriel's Church in Elma after a long and valiant battle with Cystic Fibrosis.
A local volunteer firefighter and police dispatcher, Przybyl is described as being a "man of the community." Those he served remember him as a fighter, someone who never stopped fighting for others, all the while fighting the battle of his life.
Przybyl leaves behind a wife and son, as well as a community of people he loved to serve.
A GoFundMe account has been established to help his family: https://www.gofundme.com/breathe-easy-przybyl-family
After graduating from West Seneca East High School in 1998, Kevin became one of the youngest paramedics in New York State. He also devoted his time to working as a firefighter, EMT, and police dispatcher.
In 2005, Kevin and his family moved to Central Florida because of his health, but even there, he continued his EMS work and started two organizations to raise awareness of the disease.
After receiving a double-lung transport in 2013, Kevin was able to move back to WNY where he became an EMT for Mercy Flight, firefighter/EMT with the Bowmansville Volunteer Fire Association, and public safety dispatcher for both West Seneca and Depew police departments.
Przybyl's family is now asking people to become organ donors to help others like Kevin.
As part of the funeral procession to the cemetery, a Mercy Flight Helicopter flew escort for a long line of funeral vehicles, fire trucks, ambulances and police cars.
7 Eyewitness News Reporter Ed Reilly has more in his reports.
