At 6'3," Timothy "Timmy" Patrick McSweeney was known as "The Big Guy" or "Gentle Giant," and his heart was as big as his stature.
His kindness and gentleness were always felt by his wife and children, and he was a loving big brother to his three younger sisters, who always sought him out for advice. Mr. McSweeney carried these roles with him to Ladder Co. 3 in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, where he spent his entire Fire Department career. He was on his regular tour when two hijacked jetliners crashed into the towers of the World Trade Center. Twelve men from his company are missing. From radio contacts, they were believed to have been helping burn victims in Tower 1.
A senior member in his company, he was known for training "probies." Known as "Timbo" to his friends, he also ran the firehouse commissary, doing the bookkeeping and supervising the shopping and supplies.
Mr. McSweeney married the former Debra "Debbie" McComiskey, in 1995. Mrs. McSweeney was a longtime friend and his sister's best friend. They raised their three children together by working around his schedule as a firefighter and hers as a nurse.
At home. Mr. McSweeney played an active role in his children's lives every step of the way -- bath time, playing games, going to the park, bedtime. He also was a good cook, turning out his culinary creations at home and at the firehouse. "He enjoyed being home with the kids," said his wife. "He would make a good meal; we just enjoyed being together." A trip to the Jersey shore right after Labor Day had given them a chance to do just that.
Born in Brooklyn, Mr. McSweeney was brought to Annadale as a 1-year-old. He attended PS 36 in Annadale, Bernstein Intermediate School in Huguenot, and graduated from Tottenville High School in 1982.
He had worked as a carpenter, framing houses, until 1987, when he followed in his father's footsteps and joined the Fire Department, assigned to Ladder Co. 3 Mr. McSweeney's father, retired Battalion Chief Dennis McSweeney, is sharing his personal loss with many friends whose sons also followed them into the Fire Department.
"Dollarwise, you could do better, but guys don't do it for the monetary value," the elder McSweeney said. "It's the job satisfaction. They are happy doing what they are doing."
Permits to build a retaining wall, part of an overall plan to level out the backyard and put in a pool, arrived the week of Sept. 10. Many of his friends, also firemen, turned up at the McSweeney home in his absence to help finish the work he started.
Mr. McSweeney was a sports enthusiast and was an all-star first baseman in his youth for the South Shore Little League and the South Shore Babe Ruth League. As an adult, he played softball for local teams and the Fire Department team. He had also played with the Staten Island Touch Tackle League for 15 years, retiring last year from the Silver Foxes following his team's triple crown win. Mr. McSweeney was a parishioner of St. Clare's R.C. Church, Great Kills.
Staten Island Advance, 2001