By Kimberly Drelich
The Day, New London
GROTON, Conn. — Capt. Whitney C. Teehan Jr., who served as a longtime volunteer for the City of Groton Eastern Point Fire Company No. 2, believed in mentoring the next generation of firefighters and always showing up for his community.
Many became career firefighters in the area, said his grandson, Jake Troy, who followed in his grandfather’s footsteps in public safety and became an East Lyme dispatcher and volunteer EMT with Mystic River Ambulance.
On the 25th anniversary of Teehan’s line-of-duty death, Teehan is being remembered for his dedication to the fire service and love of his community, dependable and jovial personality, and the way he inspired younger firefighters.
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On the morning of June 25, 2000, Teehan, who had retired from Electric Boat and continued to teach drafting to employees who needed additional training, heard of a reported fire at the Electric Boat shipyard. Teehan told his wife, Barbara, that I think I need to take this call” and went out the door.
While on the call, Teehan died of a heart attack at age 66 in the Electric Boat shipyard where he had worked for 41 years, Troy said.
Teehan had served 48 years — since he was 18 — in various volunteer roles in the Eastern Point Fire Company No. 2.
His funeral drew firefighters from the region and out of state, and ladder trucks held up an American flag across the road. A motorcade proceeded through the city and included a police color guard and firefighters in marching lines at Five Corners, according to newspaper archives and Troy.
In 1997, Teehan was at a car fire on Meech Avenue and collapsed on the lawn after the fire was put out, according to newspaper archives. First Lt. Joel Morabito and firefighter Warren Seabury from Pioneer Hose Co. No. 1 and Eastern Point firefighter Joseph Mingoia performed CPR. Lt. Michael Howell and firefighter Steven Christina from Pfizer brought a defibrillator to the scene and revived him.
After that, three defibrillators for the fire department and five for police were purchased, and Teehan and others were trained on how to use them. Ambulance services already had defibrillators at the time and other local fire departments recently purchased them, according to the archives.
After the incident, Teehan spoke at a City Council meeting to express gratitude to all those who helped him and his family.
Fire service a part of life
Teehan, a lifelong city resident, and his wife, Barbara, raised four daughters, Laura Troy, Susan Dettore, Bev Nachtwey and Paula Moffet. He had five grandchildren and, since then, seven great-grandchildren have been born, with another on the way.
Fire service was part of life, Troy said. When his grandfather’s pager went off, everyone knew to get out of the way because he had to go to a call. His car was equipped with blue lights, and his fire gear was always on the front porch ready to go with his boots facing the door.
Troy said when his grandfather and grandmother were newlyweds living in Branford Manor in the 1950s, a fire broke out in another apartment there and his grandfather ran to the scene. According to newspaper archives, a 17-year-old boy living nearby boosted Teehan up to the window and Teehan kicked in the window and rescued a 3½-year-old child.
Troy recalled one time when a fire broke out at the former Colonial Manor apartments, and Troy went to Walmart with his aunt Susan and grabbed every case of water they could find to bring to the firefighters at the scene.
“It was a family operation,” Troy said. “It was an outreach through firefighting. And even if you weren’t an official firefighter, you were part of that community.”
Teehan also was involved in the Groton Lodge of Elks, including as Exalted Ruler, and cooked at fish fries and volunteered at community events. He was part of the Marine Draftsman Association and the American Red Cross, among other roles. He also was a professional magician called “Misto, Master of Magic” and “Clarence the Clown.” When Troy would sit on the arm of his grandfather’s chair, he always had a magic trick to pull out of his hat.
His grandfather believed in giving back to the community and working hard, Troy said.
“He never did anything halfway,” Troy said. “He always did everything to the best of his ability.”
Troy said the community then gave back to his family after his grandfather suffered his first heart attack and then line-of-duty death in 2000.
Troy said The Hundred Club, which supports surviving families, visited his grandmother and sent her gifts. Teehan is on the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Md., and the state Fallen Firefighters Memorial at the Connecticut Fire Academy in Windsor Locks.
After his death, the Eastern Point Volunteer Fire Co. No. 2 added his initials, “WCT,” to their patches and presented a framed patch to his family, Troy said.
Following his grandfather’s legacy
Troy, 35, said that from an early age, he heard the radios, went with his grandfather to calls and hung around the firehouse. He said giving back to the community through public safety came naturally to him.
Troy said he joined Ledyard Ambulance as a volunteer at age 17, became an EMT by age 19, and was chief at the age of 21. He became a lifelong member of Mystic River Ambulance and has served on the board there. He also served for a time as a dispatcher in Ledyard.
Today, Troy is an East Lyme dispatcher and volunteer for Mystic River Ambulance as well as a musician.
Troy said his grandfather taught the family resilience.
“Even though he faced challenges in life, he was never afraid to push through and serve a greater purpose,” Troy said.
Troy said a line-of-duty death is something that only families and responders can really understand.
“Like my grandfather, so many have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of others, and while sad, we remember their service with a sense of humbleness and pride,” Troy said.
Retired City of Groton Fire Chief Nicholas DeLia said that after Teehan had cardiac arrest in 1997, he returned to serve in one of the most important roles in the fire department: accountability officer. Firefighters at a scene give their identification tags to the accountability officer to help the incident commander keep track of everybody. DeLia said Teehan had the perfect personality for the role.
“I needed someone that everybody respected, that everybody knew, that was not afraid to walk up to anybody and say, where’s your tag?’” DeLia recalled. “And then he would help me coordinate what people were doing what jobs at the fire.”
“He was very, very dependable,” DeLia added. Teehan was like a dad to many of the young volunteers, with several becoming career firefighters.
Community service
DeLia reflected that Teehan always used to say what he was going to do and did what he said he was going to, took care of and protected young firefighters, and was consistent, while still willing to listen.
Troy said his grandfather’s life shows the importance of community service and not waiting for others to get involved but being the voice and making change and “going out with your boots on.”
With the busyness and technology of today’s era, Troy said such service is still so important. He said if his grandfather were alive, he would encourage people to get involved to make their communities better. That could be anything from helping through emergency services, volunteering at a soup kitchen, or cooking at a charity event.
“As long as you were involved, I think that’s what was most important and making sure that you’re making those important connections that keep us together as a society, Troy said.
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