Road closures ahead of funeral for fallen Wethersfield firefighter

WETHERSFIELD, Conn. (WTNH) — Robert Sharkevich Sr., known as “Sharkey” to those who knew him, will be laid to rest Monday. He was a veteran firefighter who died in the line of duty while battling the Hawthorne fire.

The procession will bring his body to the Cathedral of St. Joseph’s in Hartford.

The funeral will begin at 11 a.m., and several road closures will start at 10 a.m. for the procession.

The public is being asked to avoid the area.

Traffic will be closed on the Northbound and Southbound lanes of Silas Deane Highway in Wethersfield between the Hartford city line and Wells Road. Closures will last for roughly one hour.

Roadways closed for the procession include:

• Ridge Road from Hartford city line to Prospect Street
• Prospect Street at Ridge Road
• Griswold Road at Prospect Street
• Griswold Road at Maple Street
• Maple Street at Gilbert Avenue

Those roads will be closed until 2 p.m.

For the return of the funeral procession, closures include:

• Wells Road from Ridge Road to Goff Road.
• Goff Road from Wells Road to Prospect Street.
• Prospect Street from Goff Road to Griswold Road.

Calling hours were held for Sharkevich on Sunday. His former colleagues said he had a larger-than-life personality and a sense of humor.

“He’s a fun guy. He’s a funny guy. No one could say a bad thing about him,” Chief Willie Jones from the Blue Hills Fire Department said.

“Our firefighters and our first responders are the ones who are going into this dangerous situation, which is why it’s so important that we support them,” Commissioner Ronnell Higgins said.

Sharkevich’s family said you can support them by donating to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which supports families of fallen first responders.

Following the funeral, Sharkevich will be buried at the Rose Hill Memorial Park in Rocky Hill.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com.