Donald R. "Don" Healy

1937 - 2021

Healy
Lifelong public servant Donald R. "Don" Healy, 83, of Jacksonville Beach, Florida, passed away peacefully at home on Friday, January 29, 2021, surrounded by family and friends.
Don was born Dec 27, 1937, in Freeport, NY to John F. Healy Jr. and Elvira "Sis" Mabry and was primarily raised by his beloved paternal grandmother, Mae (O'Brien) Healy. He attended Our Holy Redeemer School in Freeport and briefly attended the Graymoor seminary in Garrison before graduating from Freeport High School in 1956.
He 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. Rescue units were comprised of the most experienced and toughest in a department and were considered the Bravest of the Brave. To be a firefighter in one was an honor; to be an officer in one was a singular distinction only a handful can claim.
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.
His final service to the community began in October 2006, when he was employed by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office as a Judicial Officer, a position he held until a severe stroke forced him to retire in 2019 at the age of 81.
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.
Don is predeceased by his parents and older brother, John F. "Jack" Healy III.
He is survived by his wife, Betty Delisi; brother Richard Grenamyer; his six children: Janet Hellier, Patricia Luna, Daniel Healy, Megan Raye, Caitlyn Carter, and Michael Carter; twelve grandchildren: James Hellier, Ben Andrade, and Madeline Hellier; Nicholas Luna and Samantha Luna; Delia, Mae, Patrick, Paige, Caroline, and Genevieve Healy; and Symphony Carter; four great-grandchildren: Madeline and Vivien Young, Damian Pass-Healy, and Micaela Andrade; and three nephews and nieces: John Healy, Kathleen Castro, and J.D. Healy.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the FDNY Foundation (www.fdnyfoundation.org)
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