Residents advised of wake and funeral traffic plans for Firefighter Colin McFadden

The wake and funeral mass for Bristol resident and Burlington Volunteer Firefighter Colin McFadden will be drawing firefighters from across the state, and the city has provided parking and transportation assistance to and from the locations on both Wednesday and Thursday.

McFadden, 26, had a medical emergency on the site of the historic New Hartford House fire last Tuesday. Two days later he passed from complications as a previously undiagnosed medical condition was discovered during his treatment. For his obituary, click here.

The wake will be held Wednesday, Aug. 18, at the Funk Funeral Home, and the funeral mass on Thursday, Aug 19, at St. Matthew Church.

Firefighters are being directed to park at Central Square and shuttle buses will be provided to and from the funeral home throughout visiting hours, leaving the Funk Funeral Home and library parking lots for family and friends, said Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu in a press release Tuesday.

Funk Funeral Home is located at 35 Bellevue Ave. where the wake will be held from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

The funeral mass will be held on Thursday morning, 11 a.m. at the St. Matthew Church, 120 Church Ave. Firefighters and their guests will again be using downtown parking as well as 10 Main St., with shuttle buses providing transportation to and from the church. 

The Bristol Fire Department, CERT, and the Bristol Police Department will be involved in the logistics of both days. Residents are being asked to avoid the Federal Hill area on Wednesday afternoon and evening, and the Forestville area surrounding St. Matthew Church on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Bellevue Ave. will be closed to through traffic from Sessions St. to Beleden Gardens Dr. for portions of these two days and Church Ave. will be closed between Washington St. and Central St. on Thursday between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. 

The funeral procession will leave Funk Funeral Home on Thursday morning and follow this route:

South on Bellevue Ave. turning left onto High St., turning right onto Queen St. and then left onto Blakeslee St. The procession will then turn left onto Riverside Ave., left onto King St. and then right onto West Washington St. The procession will end by taking a right onto Church Ave. ending at St. Matthew Church.  

From St. Matthew Church, the funeral procession will head north on Church Ave. crossing over Washington St. onto Stafford Ave. The procession will then turn right onto Brook St., crossing Route 6 to Mix St. From there, the procession will head up Maple Ave. to James P. Casey, to Hill St., and then turn onto Rt. 6 to head to St. Joseph Cemetery.