Captain
Thomas Moody
Division 1
Memorial
Service was held
on October 27, 2001.
Thomas Moody: Fire Officer and Engineer
Captain Thomas Moody loved to give people "the elbow."
He would be telling a joke, kidding someone, and if they didn't
get it right away, "he would give you the elbow in the
ribs," said his wife, Maureen. "He loved to tease."
Captain
Moody also had a certain way with names. His daughter Deirdre's
first-grade teacher, Mrs. Fear, became Mrs. Afraid. Mr. McDonald
became Mr. Arby's. And when he was growing up in Brentwood,
on Long Island, his younger sister, Lorraine, became "the
secret helper.'' "Whenever he wanted to get my sister to
do something, he'd call her his secret helper, and he would
con her into doing these little favors for him," recalled
Frank Moody, an older brother.
But
for all his teasing, and (literal) ribbing, Captain Moody, 45,
was quiet at heart. An 18-year veteran of the Fire Department,
he was working to be transferred to the hazardous materials
team, so he could make full use of his degree in chemical engineering;
he started his career as a chemical engineer. He still got consulting
work as an engineer, but his adventurous side was most fulfilled
working in the Fire Department. "He was in probie school
when we met," said Mrs. Moody. "He was so excited
about it, so content."