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John J. McAuliffe, Jr., Chief retired, 80 of Wethersfield, devoted husband of Arlene McAuliffe for 55 years, died peacefully on Saturday January 21, 2017. He was born in Hartford on December 5, 1936, son of the late John J. McAuliffe, Sr. and Anne (Broderick) McAuliffe. John attended Wethersfield High School and the University of Connecticut. He was a member of the Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Department for 42 years, ascending to the rank of Chief. While Chief, John served on numerous State and Federal Committees and received several award, including the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Fire Service Award for Excellence and the National Volunteer Fire Chiefs’ Lifetime Achievement Award. John was Past President of the Connecticut State Firemen’s Association, the Connecticut Fire Chiefs Association, a Director of the National Fire Council and Past President of the Wethersfield Volunteer Firefighters Association. He was employed by the Metropolitan District Commission for 41 years, retiring as Administrator of Risk Services and Customer Accounting. In his retirement, he served as a Commissioner of the Metropolitan District and was a Disaster Assistant with FEMA. John was a life member of the Irish American Home Society and was chosen as Wethersfield’s Irishman of the Year in 1991. He served as Grand Marshal of the Hartford St. Patrick Day Parade in 2004. John enjoyed spending his free time at his second home in Hampton Beach, N.H. In addition to his loving wife Arlene, he is survived by his sister Margaret (Peggy) Walsh and her husband Richard (whom he thought of as a brother); his nieces, Kathleen Race and her husband Jason; Kerry Cayward and her husband Andrew, and Kelly Walsh; also his grand-nieces and nephews, Brenden, Connor, Liam, Nora and Maeve.
Friends may call on Friday January 27, 2017 from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at the Farley-Sullivan Funeral Home, 34 Beaver Rd., Wethersfield, CT 06109. A Mass of Christian Burial celebrating John’s life will be held Saturday January 28, 2017 at 10:00 am in the Church of the Incarnation, 544 Prospect St, Wethersfield. All attendees are asked to go directly to church. Burial will follow in Village Cemetery, Marsh St. Wethersfield. Contributions in memory of John may be made to the Wethersfield Volunteer Firefighters Association, P.O. Box 290075, Wethersfield, CT 06129-0075. For a full obituary, listing John’s many accomplishments, for directions, or to extend online condolences, please visit Farleysullivan.com.
The following is a list of John’s many accomplishments and contributions to the community:
Leadership Positions:

• Delegate, national Fire Protection Association 1201 Committee (public service organization operation committee)
• Delegate, National Fire Protection Association1720 Committee (fire service organization for volunteers)
• President, Connecticut Fire Chief’s Association
• Chairman, National Volunteer Fire Council Risk Management Committee
• Director, National Volunteer Fire Council
• Liaison to Connecticut Motor Vehicle Department for Connecticut Fire Chief’s Association and Connecticut Fireman’s Association
• Chairman, Connecticut Fire Chief’s Emergency Medical Services Committee
• Chairman, Connecticut State Fireman’s Association Legislative Committee
• Chairman, Connecticut State Fireman’s Association License Plate Committee
• Committee, Connecticut State Fireman’s Association Pension Committee
• LEPC Representative to all Metropolitan District-Serviced Communities (Hartford and Eight Contiguous Towns)
• Past President, Connecticut State Fireman’s Association
• Chairman, Connecticut State Fireman’s Association Pension Committee
• Vice-President of the Fallen Firefighters Memorial Foundation
• Past President, Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force for the Promulgation of Rescue Service Regulations for Connecticut
• Member of the Flashing Light Task Force-Emergency Vehicle Usage
• Past President, Wethersfield Firefighters Association
• Past President, The Metropolitan District Engineers Club
• Past President, The Metropolitan District 25-Year Club
• Past Chairman, Irish American Home Society Constitution Committee
• Member, Strategic Planning Committee, Town of Wethersfield
• Past Vice Chairman, Community Development Action Plan (CDAP) Public Safety Committee for the Town of Wethersfield
• Member, City of Hartford Terrorism Committee
• Commissioner, Metropolitan District (water & sewer authority)
Authorships:
• Article printed in “Fire Engineering” magazine dealing with chlorine emergencies and sewer rescues
• Co-authored an internationally distributed manual on vehicle rescue and patient extrication
• Co-authored a nationally distributed manual on aero-medical (helicopter) rescue to emergency situations
Awards:
• International Association of Fire Chief’s Fire Service Award for Excellence
• Connecticut State Fireman’s Association Unit Citation for Bravery
• United Irsih Societies, Town of Wethersfield Irishman of the Year
• Friendly Sons of St. Patrick Irishman of the Year
• American Red Cross Humanitarian Award
• Wethersfield Jaycees Distinguished Service Award
• United States Army Regimental Soldier of the Year
• Grand Marshall, Hartford St. Patrick Day Parade 2004
• Connecticut State Firefighters Hall of Fame
• NVFC Lifetime Achievement Award
• Japan Firefighters Association Gold Medal
Military:
• United States Army Reserve
• American Legion – Post 23

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