Michael Garrity, 98 - served 44 yrs. on Evanston Fire Dept. Chicago Sun-Times - Thursday, March 10, 1988 Michael Garrity, 98, a retired Evanston firefighter, died Wednesday in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Mr. Garrity, who moved to St. Petersburg after he retired in 1962, served with the Evanston Fire Department for 44 years.

He started as a firefighter on July 16, 1918, and worked his way up to assistant fire chief in January, 1951.

In 1931, then-Lt. Garrity was credited with saving the life of an invalid woman by fighting through a fire and carrying her out of a burning building.

He was known to be very cool and calm in the face of fires.

"That man could eat smoke like you and I could breathe oxygen," said retired Evanston firefighter John Kroll.

"He had several little sayings, and he always used the word `lad,' " Kroll said. "He was like a father to most of us."

Mr. Garrity was a dedicated churchgoer and gardener to the day he died, said Kroll.

Survivors include two daughters, Pauline Moss and Norine Fischbach; two sons, Michael J. and John P.; a sister; 18 grandchildren, and 25 great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be from 3 to 10 p.m. tomorrow at the Donnellan-Fitzgerald-Franklin Funeral Home, Skokie. Funeral mass will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the St. Nicholas Church, Evanston. Burial at All Saints Cemetery, Des Plaines.

Michael J Garrity