Lifelong public servant Donald R. “Don” Healy (L120), passed away peacefully at home in Jacksonville FL on Friday, January 29, 2021, surrounded by family and friends.Before serving in the FDNY, Don enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served three years of active duty before receiving his honorable discharge in 1959.
He then began his 20-year career as a New York City firefighter in 1963, spending the bulk of his time in Ladder 120 and Rescue 2, both in Brooklyn. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1977 and worked at Rescue 3 in the Bronx.
Don retired in 1983 after having earned four Class A awards, one Class B award, and four Unit Citations. He moved to Jacksonville in 1985 and became a Florida State Fire Marshal, traveling across the state for the next 20 years. He returned to NY in September 2001 to work alongside his former FDNY colleagues to find their fallen brothers at the World Trade Center.
Don Healy was a strong, stubborn, proud, hard-working man, quick-witted and steadfast in his beliefs on God, politics, and sobriety. He was a marvelous storyteller, specializing in tales from his firehouse days. He was also a voracious reader with a curious mind, vast vocabulary, and a command of language to match, which he regularly employed on the NY Times Crossword Puzzle.
Rest Easy Lieutenant, you’ve earned it.
“The Tradition Continues..
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