Daniel Noonan

Daniel “Dan” Noonan, son of Daniel and Margaret Noonan, passed away on July 21st, 2024 after a long battle with occupational cancer. He was preceded in death by his brother Michael Noonan and his sister Marianne Noonan.

He is survived by his two loving daughters Allyson and Erin Noonan and their families: son-in-law Matt Brennan and Karl Heiland, as well as his two nephews Finbar and Liam Noonan. He is also survived by his former wife Regina Noonan and his girlfriend Patty Healy.

Dan was born in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn in 1948 and grew up in the Irish enclave of Belle Harbor on the Rockaway Peninsula. Dan attended what he referred to as “Bishop Loughlin High School for Gifted Catholic Youth,” where he led the water polo and swim teams. He rarely missed an opportunity to cheer-on his beloved sister, Marianne “Noodles” Noonan, in her record-setting basketball career at St. John’s.

Dan was a relentless advocate for raising awareness of occupational cancers in the fire service. His career with the FDNY began in 1973. In 1975, he was ‘first due’ to the infamous New York Telephone Company Fire with Ladder 3, the second most toxic fire in NYC history, following only 9/11. Many who responded to the Phone Fire passed away long before their time, and others, including Dan, were diagnosed with leukemia and other rare disorders out of line for their ages and lifestyles. That fire began a lifetime of advocacy work—Dan pressed the FDNY to pull the medical records of every firefighter from that fire, eventually partnering with the union to establish one of the first medical monitoring programs for early cancer detection. In 2022, the NY Fire Bell Club formally recognized Dan’s persistent efforts to link the New York Telephone Company Fire to occupational cancers. The World Trade Center Health Program also recognizes Dan's pivotal role in laying the groundwork for programs tracking toxic exposure-related illness.

Dan continued his FDNY career at Ladder 31 in the South Bronx during “the war years” when “the Bronx was burning.” In 1984, Dan retired from Ladder 9, in the Bowery of Manhattan. He was one of the original owners of multiple popular firefighters' bars named Suspenders, famously serving all walks of life, from the elite of Wall Street to Rockaway’s “Heaven’s Devils.”

In the early 90’s he moved to San Diego and became “Suntan Dan.” He is responsible for creating a network of wonderful friendships by establishing the FDNY Retirees of Southern California, where he served as the president. He was a training officer at the Del Mar Fire Department creating a long-lasting link between San Diego and NYC. He raised his two daughters in San Diego and could often be found at the Del Mar racetrack or having a warm Budweiser in Del Mar village. During 9/11, despite being retired due to occupational cancer, Dan joined the World Trade Center rescue and recovery efforts without hesitation, becoming one of the few FDNY members to fight New York City’s two most toxic blazes.

After spending more than 20 years in California, Dan moved back to NYC to be closer to his daughters. Dan lived for his summers at the Saratoga Racetrack, where he passed down his foolproof horse betting strategies to his sons-in-law. He became an honorary member of the Point Lookout-Lido Fire Department Company 2 where his brother Michael served. With his girlfriend Patty, he became a well-loved patron of every Italian restaurant and Irish pub in Manhattan’s Yorkville neighborhood. Most importantly, he kept his daughters close, teaching them everything from how to pour a proper Guinness to how to be resilient and face setbacks with dignity and humor, which he demonstrated in his over 20-year battle with cancer.

At the heart of Dan’s advocacy work was to “Never Forget.” He lived large, laughed loudly, and loved with all his heart. He leaves the world a better place than he found it and for this, we will Never Forget Danny Noonan.

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A gathering & visitation for Dan will be held Thursday, August 1, 2024 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Frank E. Campbell - The Funeral Chapel, 1076 Madison Ave, New York, New York 10028. For those driving, parking is available at the Vic Mar parking garage (8 East 83rd Street) or Laz Parking at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (989 5th Avenue).

A Catholic funeral mass will occur Friday, August 2, 2024 at 11:00 AM at St. Francis DeSales Roman Catholic Church, 129-16 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Belle Harbor, NY. For those driving, there is parking at St. Francis DeSales for the mass.

A celebration of life will follow mass Friday, August 2, 2024 at 1:00 PM at Belle Harbor Yacht Club, 533 Beach 126th Street, Belle Harbor, NY. For those driving, there is parking at the Belle Harbor Yacht Club.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the FDNY Family Transport Fund. The FDNY Family Transport Fund assists the families of firefighters in their times of greatest need, in transporting firefighters and family members to and from medical institutions both for care and family support. The Foundation is all-volunteer, entirely non-profit, and depends on donations of equipment, funds and service to carry out its mission.

Online donations can be made via Paypal here, please write Noonan in the message box for donation: https://www.firefamilytransport.org/donate.html

Checks can be mailed to: Fire Family Transport PO Box 340949 Brooklyn NY 11234. Please write Noonan on the check.