By Trevor Jones
Berkshire Eagle
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Most people don’t get a parade when they retire, but Mortimer “Mort” T. Cavanaugh wasn’t most people.
Cavanaugh served as the town’s fire chief for 38 years and served as chair of the Great Barrington Fire District’s Prudential Committee from 1952 until 2011. Cavanaugh was held in such high esteem in the community that one of the largest parades in the town’s history, dubbed The Hometown Hero Celebration, was held in his honor shortly after his retirement in 1993.
Cavanaugh died on Sunday at Fairview Hospital. He was 88.
Born to Dr. Mortimer T. and Katherine McAuliffe Cavanaugh in Great Barrington in March 1923, Cavanaugh went on to attend Georgetown University and served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He later studied plumbing at the New York Trade School and ran his own plumbing and heating business, M.T. Cavanaugh Inc.
Great Barrington Deputy Fire Chief Edward McCormick called Cavanaugh a “fire chief’s fire chief” who was progressive in his pursuit of first-class equipment and in the training of firefighters. McCormick said Cavanaugh’s efforts “really made the Great Barrington Fire Department stand out.”
“He did this out of his love and respect for the community,” said McCormick. “During his tenure as fire chief we had some major fires, so he was really adept at leading people.”
Michael Fitzpatrick, who succeeded Cavanaugh as fire chief, called him a legend who always took the time to get to know everyone in the department.
“He showed a really genuine interest in each of his members and even when he had 40 members in the department, he knew their stories,” said Fitzpatrick.
Cavanaugh was appointed fire chief for the Fire District in 1955, and he later spearheaded the push to merge the district with the Housatonic Hose Company. The merger was approved in 1976, at which point Cavanaugh became fire chief for the entire town.
Over his five decades with the department, Cavanaugh witnessed a number of major fires, including blazes at the former Cornwall Academy and the former Berkshire Inn.
Fitzpatrick also noted Cavanaugh’s dual role in dealing with the Taconic lumber yard fire in 1987, saying his work on the Prudential Committee was key to laying water systems to parts of downtown and his leadership and planning as fire chief prevented the blaze from being a disaster that spread to other downtown buildings.
“He never panicked,” said Fitzpatrick. “He was an excellent fire chief all the way around and I’ll miss him.”
Copyright 2012 Berkshire Eagle