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Michael
J. Lyons His Jokes Masked a Passion for His Job January 22, 2002
Michael J. Lyons was always a funny guy who could win people over
with his personality. His wife remembers how in high school Lyons
was always New York Firefighter’s Daughter Born Nov. 2 Nov. 20, 2001 Michael J. Lyons, 32, of Hawthorne, New York, never had a chance to see his second daughter, Mary Michael, who was named in his memory. She was born on Nov. 2. Lyons was a 7-year veteran of the New York Fire Department, with Squad 41 in Harlem. His mother-in-law, Norma Cody, said Lyons was a dedicated worker who also volunteered with the Hawthorne Fire Company No. 1. She said he died trying to rescue victims from the south tower. “He was always working, doing one thing or another,” she said. Cody said she will miss a lot about him, but she will miss his presence the most. “He was a kidder, always kidding around,” Cody said. “He was a happy person with a wonderful personality.” She said he spent his free time playing golf, darts or fishing. “He was just a caring person,” she said. “He would come in and hug you. He has been like family for so long.” Lyons met his wife, Elaine Cody Lyons, when he was about 15 years old. They worked in a deli shop together were he worked the counter and she was a waitress, Cody said. Lyons is the son of the late Thomas and Mary Taggart Lyons of Yonkers, N.Y., where he attended the elementary school. He graduated from Manhattan College in the Bronx as a mechanical engineer. He is survived by his wife, Elaine, his 1-year-old daughter, Caitlyn, and his new daughter, Mary Michael. He is also remembered by his brothers Kieran Lyons of Darien, Conn., Brian Lyons of Lake Carmel, N.Y., and Sean Lyons of Cape Cod, Mass. -- Thuy-Doan Le (The Hartford Courant) |
playing jokes at his job in a delicatessen in Yonkers. Lyons would
sometimes glue a quarter to the floor and watch customers struggle
to pick it up, or fill co-worker's shoes with corned beef fat,
Elaine Lyons said. That was 1985. The two started dating a year
later and were married in 1997. Joe Beltrani remembers when he
first met Lyons about two years ago. Lyons, a New York City firefighter,
wanted to gain a transfer to work in Squad 41 in the Bronx, where
Beltrani worked. "He would always call the firehouse and say,
'Hey, bro,' to whoever answered," Beltrani said. The problem with
that approach was a "hard as nails" lieutenant who didn't like
being called "bro," Beltrani said. But Lyons' passion and genuine
kindness won the tough lieutenant over. He continued calling him
'bro' and was accepted to join the elite firehouse. At the firehouse,
Lyons was "a clown, a character, always had a joke," Beltrani
said. "Mike was just so full of emotion." Squad 41 responded to
the burning Twin Towers on Sept. 11. Lyons, who was 32 and lived
in upstate Hawthorne, was killed. His body has not been recovered.
On Nov. 2, Lyon's wife gave birth to the couple's second daughter
and named her Mary Michael. Lyons' first daughter, Caitlyn, is
18 months old. "He was a great father, a wonderful father," his
wife said. Despite Lyons' hectic work schedule - holding two jobs
was the norm - he would come home from work and play with, change
and feed his daughter. "I was very lucky," his wife said. Raised
in Yonkers as one of four brothers in a proud Irish-American family,
Lyons graduated from Mount St. Michael Academy in the Bronx in
1987 and Manhattan College in 1994 with a degree in mechanical
engineering. Lyons took the firefighters' exam out of high school
because "he always wanted to be a fireman, "his wife said. While
waiting to be called by the department, Lyons held several jobs,
including inspecting buildings for the fire department and selling
hot dogs from a truck. Lyons' first job was with Engine Co. 44
on the Upper East Side. He worked there for 5 1/2 years before
switching to Squad 41. More recently, Lyons worked part- time
as an engineer in his time off from the department and managed
to buy a small house in Hawthorne - where his wife grew up - in
September 2000. He joined the volunteer fire department there
and would often rush out to answer an alarm late at night. "He
always said 'I'll be back in five minutes,'" his wife said. Before
last summer, Lyons quit the engineering job to spend more time
with his wife and daughter. But he didn't stop working - he drove
an ice cream truck. He was always the adult at family gatherings
who would end up spending hours with the children, and the job
suited him perfectly. "He'd tell me he'd love to see the kids'
faces when they came to the truck," his wife said. "He was a big
kid himself." -- Steven Kreytak (Newsday)