James “Jimmy” Riches, a retired FDNY deputy chief who spent months at Ground Zero in a recovery effort to find his firefighter son’s body after the World Trade Center attack died from a Sept. 11-related illness on Thanksgiving, the FDNY announced.

Riches suffered from a lung illness for more than two decades before dying at age 74 Thursday.

“He had a great legacy, very respected and loved,” Riches’ third son, Daniel Riches, who is a retired FDNY captain, told the Daily News.

“He was a great person. He was a great father, great friend. A lot of people reached out to tell us how much they loved him.”

James RIches spent six months searching through the rubble and debris at Ground Zero for the remains of his son, Jimmy Riches, who died heroically responding to the terror attack.

“He wen

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