BAY RIDGE, Brooklyn (WABC) -- A funeral was held Monday in Brooklyn for a former FDNY deputy chief who died on Thanksgiving from a 9/11-related illness.

Firefighters past and present lined the street at the casket was brought out carrying the body of James Riches.

Riches spent six months at ground zero digging through the rubble to find the body of his son, Jimmy, who was also a firefighter and died while responding to the attacks.

Riches retired in 2007 and dedicated his life after that to the survivors of 9/11 and the families of the victims.

"Jimmy was one of our advocates, Jimmy went to Washington many times for us, he fought for benefits for the families of the people who were killed and for us that are still living, it's a stark reminder that we're going to continue to do this,"

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