Boston Fire Lt. Stephen Minehan Honored 30 Years After His Death

Minehan died 30 years ago after courageous rescue work his fellow firefighters at a nine-alarm warehouse fire on Charlestown Pier.

“We will never forget Lt. Steve Minehan… a true American hero,” former Boston Fire Commissioner Martin E. Pierce Jr. told the crowd.

Minehan, a third-generation Boston firefighter, died in the line of duty on June 24, 1994. He was 44, and is survived by his wife, Kathy, and four children, including a son, Joseph, now a district chief for the department.

The crowd filled the Florian Hall parking lot, and some stood and watched from the porches of nearby homes. Everyone knew everyone else, and everyone had a story about Minehan.

“I see some uniforms, I see some Hawaiian shirts, I see everything in between,” said Sam Dillon, president of Boston Fire Department Local 718. “Joe, this is a big deal in Minehan and it means a lot to us.”

Kathy Minehan attended the event with her four adult children, Joseph, Kaitlin, Kelley and Meghan, and eight grandchildren.

“Today’s marking, naming and commemoration helps us reconnect with him,” said the Rev. John Unni, the department’s chief chaplain. “It helps us remember and remind ourselves of what happened. About the dangers of this job, about the heroism, selflessness and courage of your husband, father, brother, friend. He truly was a man for others.”

Joseph Minehan told the crowd that the 30th anniversary of his father’s death was “particularly difficult.”

“I realized he’s been gone twice as long as I’ve known him,” said Minehan, 45. “During that time, I can’t count the number of milestones I’ve missed — birthdays, weddings, first words, first steps, countless holidays and celebrations. “

But Minehan still found a way to bring a smile to the crowd, recalling that his father even missed “one appointment with the psychic.”

“This is as weird as it sounds,” he told the laughing crowd.

Joseph Minehan, a fourth-generation Boston Fire Department member, was promoted to district chief in 2021.

“Each of his children went into a field that serves others first and foremost,” Minehan said. “He would be proud of it.”

“He would be proud of his grandchildren,” he continued, choking up. “Everyone has their own brand of silliness and dry humor as a badge of honor.”

Mayor Michelle Wu presented Kathy Minehan with a certificate “for her extraordinary strength, compassion and dedication to both her family and thousands of grieving widows over the past 30 years.”

Since her husband’s death, Kathy Minehan has led the organization WINGS, or Widows in Need of Grief Support.

“After her husband made the ultimate sacrifice, Kathy became a pillar of resilience and hope, raising four children and selflessly volunteering,” Wu said.

Kathy Minehan wiped tears from her eyes as she accepted the certificate, and everyone in the crowd stood up.

After the ceremony, she said she did not expect such an honor for herself and was “overwhelmed” by the tribute paid to her late husband.

“I know what he meant to me and I know what he meant to our children and I know what he would mean to our grandchildren,” she said. “But to watch the outpouring after all these years is pretty overwhelming but amazing at the same time.”

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Ava Berger can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @Ava_Berger_.