Teddy, as he was known to his family and friends, grew up in Woodside, New York and was a lifelong resident of the Boulevard Gardens. He attended Corpus Christi Elementary School and then went on to Monsignor McClancy High School. After graduating from high school, Teddy attended Baruch College for two years.
Throughout his life, Teddy exhibited a strong work ethic. In addition to being a student, he always had another job, whether it was delivering newspapers as a boy through his days as a courier at Federal Express.
Finally, in August of 1998, Teddy achieved his dream by becoming a firefighter for the FDNY. He began his career at Engine 230 in Brooklyn. He was then rotated to Engine 326 in Queens and then to Ladder 26 in Manhattan before returning “home” to Engine 230 in July of 2001. On September 11, 2001, Teddy, along with five of his “brothers” from Engine 230, responded to the WTC disaster, where they heroically gave their lives in order to save as many people as possible. Even though Teddy was with the department for only three years, he loved his job and felt tremendous pride in being a member of the FDNY.
Teddy not only served his city but he also knew the importance of serving his community. Teddy served as a baseball and basketball coach for the neighborhood youth sports program for ten years.
Teddy’s involvement in coaching was just one way that he pursued his love of sports. He played softball and football for Upback, a neighborhood team, for many years and in the last few years, Teddy took a serious interest in golf. When he was not playing some kind of sport, you could find him watching any type of game, especially baseball, since he was an avid Yankee fan. He also enjoyed collecting baseball cards and other sports memorabilia.
Teddy’s love for his job and sports was surpassed only by the love that he had for his family. His unending moral and emotional support, his sense of generosity and kindness of spirit, along with his warm smile and his laughter made him an everyday hero to his family, especially to his wife Jennifer, their daughter Taylor, his parents Ed and Regina, his brothers Jimmy, Chris and Billy, a 2000 graduate of McClancy, and to his sister Sue.