Deputy Greenwich Fire Marshal John Fronio, 57

John Fronio, a deputy fire marshal for the Greenwich Fire Department, died at Greenwich Hospital April 12, following a short illness. He was 57.

"(John) was a hard-charging firefighter - deputy fire marshal, he immersed himself in all facets of his job always giving his best effort,"  said Greenwich Fire Chief Peter Siecienski. "John was knowledgeable of the town and had great institutional knowledge of the infrastructure. He used his knowledge to promote many specialized projects for the benefit of the community."

One of those benefits was the installation of a 30,000 gallon water cistern at the Gateway Lane - King Street intersection as a water supply for the backcountry, Siecienski said. His other accomplishments also include coordinating the establishment of Greenwich Arson Task Force, the juvenile fire setter counseling program and the awards recognition ceremony for firefighters.

In addition to his professional duties, Fronio was an active volunteer with the Sound Beach Volunteer Fire Department for many years including service as assistant chief. It was there that he was involved with the Firefighters Local 1042 Explorer Post.

"John had an amazing ability to be a leader, to always give me the time as a mentor, for someone who was younger he was a wonderful instructor," recalled John Cunningham, a former Sound Beach member who joined the Explorer Post at age 13 with Fronio's encouragement. "He got me involved in the fire service and I wouldn't be where I'm at without him," said Cunningham, who at age 32 is now the chief and emergency management director of the Elk River, MN, a suburb of Minneaopolis.

Cunningham, whose famly was close to Fronio's, added, "At Sound Beach, John was an incredible firefighter, a well-rounded individual. He was just an incredible person. He was a firefighter's true friend."

His dedication to his job was recognized by the Connecticut Alarms  & Systems Integrators Association which awarded him the Fire Specialist of the Year Award in 2010.

Fronio's dedication to the job was evidenced by his working "on the pile for many days in New York following the September 11, 2001 attacks," Siecienski added.

Fronio was an appointed member of the Fire Department since 1995 and worked in town's Department of Public Works from 1993 until his appointment. He was promoted to deputy fire marshal in 2009, a position he held until his death.

Off-duty, Fronio was an expert fly-fisherman, a woodsman, craftsman and golfer. "He was a wonderful fly-fisherman … it is a very unique skill. John knew how to balance his work life and what he enjoyed on the side," Cunningham said. "He was an incredible family guy. He cared deeply about his friends and family."

Family was indeed important to Fronio, said First Selectman Peter Tesei who also is Greenwich Fire Commissioner. "I knew John through his wife Joanne with whom I worked (with) for 18 years. I know the two of them have been together since she was 13 years old," Tesei said. "It’s heartbreaking when you lose anybody close. They had been very close for a long time."

Tesei also credited Fronio for the completion of the northwest Greenwich cistern project. "He was fairly modest in what he did, never boasting. He had a deep abiding commitment to the fire service but never talked about it."

In addition to his service to the Town of Greenwich, Fronio was a Vietnam veteran. To honor that service, Tesei ordered that all town flags be flown at half-mast. "He is an officer of fire services and a Vietnam veteran. I thought it fitting to pay respect to his service and to his memory."

In addition to his wife Joanne, he is survived by their son Joseph and their daughter Jennifer.

Funeral arrangements are pending and will be announced next week.

*Editor's note: this story has been updated to correct Mr. Fronio's age.