Young Charlie Crowley – a firefighter in New Hampshire – is seen carrying his father’s fire helmet ahead of the hearse during
a procession up Broadway last Saturday during a memorial to fourth-generation Chelsea Firefighter Charlie Crowley Jr.
Crowley – a deputy chief – was only 56 when he died suddenly on June 3rd.
Firefighters use particular terminology when bestowing their highest praise: calling someone “a good jake.”
Deputy Chief Charlie Crowley Jr. was certainly a good jake…and then some.
Last Saturday, St. Rose Church and Broadway witnessed the outpouring of grief from the Chelsea Fire Department alongside numerous relatives. The procession and funeral mass honored Deputy Crowley, who passed while still engaged in active duty at just 56 years old. The Chelsea Fire Department and many family members mourned the sudden loss on of Deputy Crowley at a funeral mass last Saturday in St. Rose Church and in a procession down Broadway. Crowley, only 56, was an active duty firefighter when he passed.
On June 3rd, tragedy struck while Deputy Crowley was away from work enjoying outdoor recreation. His lineage ran deep in the Chelsea Fire Department as a fourth-generation member of that profession, part of an established and respected Chelsea family. Like his father and his grandfather before him, the soft-spoken Deputy Crowley was born to be a firefighter – and he proved that numerous time. The evidence of his calling would surface repeatedly throughout his career.
During a particularly harsh winter evening in 1998, an enormous fire broke out at 190 Washington Ave., as Chief Bob Better later recounted. The crews under Deputy Crowley’s command arrived to find conditions already at flashover. Rather than summoning additional resources or commanding from a safe distance, his approach differed entirely. Instead, he ran inside looking for anyone who might need to be saved. He didn’t call for backup or direct things from outside.
“Through all the tremendous heat and smoke, Charlie was able to push forward and found a child wrapped in a blanket on the floor,” Better explained. “He then made it to a window where he passed the child to his brother – Lt. Kevin Crowley. The child survived. Saving that child is part of the job, but Charlie was a humble guy and didn’t speak much of it.”
Recognition for this act of heroism came when Deputy Crowley received a Medal of Valor from the State Fire Marshal’s Office at the 1999 Firefighters Awards Ceremony.
Prior to last Saturday’s observance, City Manager Jay Ash released a prepared statement alongside contributions from other municipal departments, notably Police Chief Brian Kyes.
“I had been working with him in his capacity as Deputy Chief and was so impressed with his knowledge, commitment and ability to communicate the needs and actions of the department to those of us who are not in the department,” Ash remarked. “More so, the high moral character that I had heard he possessed was so evident in our conversations. He served heroically for us while he was on the line, and performed admirably on administrative duties. It’s a shame that someone who saved so many lives couldn’t live longer to enjoy his own life. His sacrifice, and that of his family, is remembered and respected by us all.”
According to Better, Deputy Crowley exemplified the firefighter’s code: always the first entering flames, always the last departing. Modesty governed his nature. No records of his accomplishments were kept. The work itself consumed his focus, performed with complete dedication.
His commitment earned him an extraordinary recognition in 2011-2012 when he advanced from lieutenant directly to deputy chief, a jump Better highlighted as noteworthy.
“That is a rare occurrence in the Fire Department,” Better emphasized. “He was never a captain. He was probably one of the few that could have made that leap and had the total respect of the department in doing so.”
The trajectory of Crowley’s career with the CFD began in 1987, followed by promotion to lieutenant in 1995 and elevation to deputy chief in 2011/2012.
Surviving him are his wife, Cheryl, two stepsons, Mike and Jim Funicella, and a son Charles Crowley – who also followed his father into the firefighting profession.