Sean Michael McCarthy, one of five brothers who followed their father into the New York City Fire Department, died Tuesday of complications related to cancer. He was 35 years old and a lifelong resident of Bellmore.
One of McCarthy’s 11 siblings, FDNY Lt. James McCarthy, remembered his brother yesterday as a natural teacher in his passions: cooking and fishing.
“He loved to be in the kitchen and be able to provide a great meal for his fellow firefighters,” he said. “He didn’t ask for a lot, but he gave a lot.”
McCarthy and two of his brothers, also FDNY members, were among those who responded to the 9/11 attacks. One of his brothers said McCarthy developed asthma and an enlarged gland after working at the site on and off for several weeks.
McCarthy graduated from Holy Trinity Diocesan High School in Hicksville in 1990 and attended Farmingdale State College. He joined the FDNY in 1996, where he was initially assigned to Engine Co. 221 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. In 2001, he was transferred to Engine Co. 280 in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, where he remained for the rest of his career.
The job was a natural fit for McCarthy, who became a junior member of the Bellmore Fire Department when he was 14 years old and a full member at 18, friends and family said.
McCarthy’s father, Lt. James McCarthy, a career city firefighter, was decorated for his role in a daring rescue at a burning YMCA building in Manhattan in 1972, and four of Sean’s brothers eventually joined the department.
west coast 911 firefighter news source – story by Newsday / read entire article
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