Lieutenant
Thomas O'Hagan
Battalion 4
Memorial
Service was held
on October 14, 2001
On
a Different Path When Thomas G. O'Hagan was 7, he tried to stamp
out a fire in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, but his pants
caught fire. He ended up with second- and third- degree burns.
"Even with all that," said his brother Raymond, "and all the
pain that burns cause, Tommy wanted to be a fireman." In a family
of 11, where his grandfather, father and two brothers were police
officers, Thomas O'Hagan's decision to become a firefighter,
and later be promoted to lieutenant, set him apart. "Tom was
very different from the rest of us," said the eldest of the
five O'Hagan brothers, Frank O'Hagan, a banker. "While the rest
of us are kind of quiet, Tom was very loquacious and extremely
generous with his time, money and advice." Lieutenant O'Hagan,
43, lived in Riverdale, where he grew up, and was an enthusiastic
firehouse chef who knew all the best recipes because they were
his own. He had been assigned to Engine Company 6 a few weeks
before Sept. 11. If anyone needed a hand, his brothers said,
Tom O'Hagan's voice was first to be heard. He was dedicated
to his wife, Andrea, and their twins, Patrick and Pierce. After
his mother died in May, Lieutenant O'Hagan visited his father
at least three times a week and often more. "He was there for
dad a lot," Frank O'Hagan said. "That speaks volumes about his
generosity." Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on December
25, 2001.
Newsday
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