Lavery reaches firefighting milestone
SOMEONE YOU SHOULD KNOW
by DAVID F. SHERMAN

Ed Lavery

Straight talk and hard work have been the hallmarks of Ed Lavery's life, nowhere more evident than in his 50 years as an active member of the Williamsville Fire Department. He will be formally recognized for the accomplishment at the department's annual installation banquet in May.

Born and raised in the village, Lavery lived on Main Street just east of Oakgrove. The excitement created by fire engines as they rushed to an emergency was overwhelming to him.

"I loved it," he admitted. "When they'd go down the street I would chase after them. One time I went on my bicycle to a fire on the old Taylor property (near the Park Country Club) and my father really gave it to me later for going out in the middle of the night."

That bicycle was his way of life for many years, even after he turned 18 and officially joined the fire department. He said his father would not let him get a driver's license, yet officers allowed him to drive fire engines. Once, while pedaling to a call, the brakes on his bicycle failed, and he stopped by crashing into the wall of the old fire hall on Main Street.

Lavery had become such a fixture around the hall that it was a mere formality for him to become an actual member. He recalled how one of the members showed up at the house one day in 1958.

"Bob Roth came to the door and said, 'Today's your birthday, right?' He handed me my key and said I had hung around the hall long enough that most people knew me and I would not have to go before the review board for approval."

Yet despite his familiarity, the rookie was much younger than the typical Williamsville firefighter in 1958. He had to wait patiently until the "old guard" slowly accepted him as an equal.

Lavery's first major blaze came a few months later when Williamsville was called to help Snyder battle a fire in a supermarket at Sheridan and Harlem. Fierce winds enhanced the flames and endangered the men working on the roof. They were tethered to crews on the ground, Lavery included.

Soon he was allowed to be closer to the action, and his extensive knowledge of the trucks and the equipment they carried qualified him for election to the rank of captain. After eight or nine years, he served five years as assistant chief, and in 1974, was elected chief.

During all these years, Lavery was employed by the Amherst Engineering Department, working up to the position of general foreman until retiring in 1999. His starting take-home pay in 1960 was $116 for two weeks' work.

Lavery credits his wife, Mary, for years of support. They met while she was working as a housekeeper for another firefighter's family, and her first time as a guest at the annual installation banquet was memorable in more ways than one.

Other guests found out Mary sang in a church choir and convinced her to share her voice with the entire group. She still sings with Williamsville firefighters when they entertain nursing home residents each year just before Christmas.

Rich Maddigan, current chief of the Williamsville Fire Department, is married to Ed and Mary's daughter, Terri. He was likewise raised around the fire hall.

"My parents were friends of the Laverys, and they often played cards together," he said. "My earliest memories of Ed center around the fire department picnics at the Lamm Post."

They also have a son, Eddie, and two grandchildren.

Maddigan is grateful that Lavery continues to respond to structure fires, often checking to see how pumpers are operating. He has also had a hand in the appearance of the new Station 2 on Sheridan Drive, which opened in 2005.

"He's meticulous. Everything has a place and everything is labeled. It's in his blood," he said. "I don't see signs of him quitting any time soon."

Lavery also was employed part-time as a dispatcher at the Amherst Central Fire Alarm Office, which handles emergency calls for all companies protecting Amherst, Clarence and Newstead. Not all of his radio transmissions were by the book, but many reflected his candor and dry wit.

One night a large barn fire was reported. Numerous calls came in simultaneously, indicating a major emergency. A chief racing to the call asked Lavery to repeat the address.

"Look north; you'll see the glow," he replied.

If you have a suggestion for someone to feature in this column, send it to David F. Sherman, managing editor, P.O. Box 150, Buffalo, NY 14231-0150, call 204-4905 or e-mail to dsherman@beenews.com.