By Gerry Smith
Chicago Tribune
 Courtesy photo Ronald Battiato |
PEOTONE, Ill. — As if the pressure of being a paramedic wasn’t enough, Ronald Battiato worked two shifts so his wife could stay at home with their six children.
“He wanted to make sure he did what he needed to do so his family was taken care of,” said co-worker Larry Nardoni, assistant chief of the South Chicago Heights Fire Department.
On Saturday, hundreds of friends and family remembered Battiato, 41, who was killed late Wednesday when the medical helicopter in which he was flying struck a guy wire on a radio tower in Aurora and crashed in a nearby field.
Also killed were 13-month-old Kirstin Blockinger of Leland, Ill., who was being treated for seizures; pilot Del Waugh, 69, of Carmel, Ind.; and nurse William Mann Jr., 31, of Chicago.
On the night of the crash, Battiato, who lived in Peotone, was working for Air Angels Inc. of Bolingbrook and was scheduled to work at 8 a.m. in South Chicago Heights as a paramedic-firefighter, Nardoni said.
His two jobs and large family left him little time to indulge his other passion: riding motorcycles. Battiato was a member of the Red Knights Motorcycle Club and liked to ride with the pack on weekends.
“It was a way for him to get away from things, to empty his mind and clear his head,” Nardoni said.
During the service at Kurtz Memorial Chapel in Frankfort, dozens of bikers joined firefighters and paramedics to pay respects to Battiato.
He was described as a religious man who marked favorite Bible passages, including several that referenced eagles. A friend noted the symbolism between the eagle, which is known for flying into storms, and Battiato, who flew by helicopter in the dark of night.
At the end of the service, a bell rang three times, a firehouse tradition to signify an alarm was over. Battiato was buried in Peotone Cemetery.
Despite the stress that comes with saving lives, Battiato always stayed upbeat, said Ben Yedor, an Air Angels co-worker.
“He must have said five times a day, ‘God, I love this job,’” Yedor said. “He was one of the best medics I ever saw.”