McAleese, Brian

Brian McAleese, Eng.226 About Brian Gerard McAleese Brian McAleese, 36, of Baldwin, was a New York City firefighter at Engine Co. 226 in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. His brother, John, also a firefighter whose firehouse was around the corner, found McAleese’s demolished rig. In the glove compartment he found a list of firefighters, his brother among them, who had come on the truck. One of five children, Brian McAleese was known as the family peacemaker. “He had a great big heart. He would do anything for anybody,” said his sister, Pat Nitti of Dix Hills. “Brian was the first one of the family to try to make peace if there was any fighting,” she said. He came from a family of firefighters — his father had been in the city fire department. McAleese and his brother often worked the same fires. Another brother, Kevin, is a New York City police detective. “He really took care of my parents . . .” said Nitti. And he had four of his own children, the oldest 5 and the youngest 4 months at the time. “Having kids for him was the epitome of being alive.” “Whenever we were at a party and we would toast, he would say, ‘Life is good and we deserve it.’ I loved that,” she said. She described the loss, all these years later, as devastating. “You can’t just take a piece of the puzzle away — and we were all very close, all about a year apart. You have to carry on, but every holiday is hard. It’s just the way they died. There was no warning,” she said. “We have a candle for him at every holiday we’re together.” — Ridgely Ochs