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It’s how many have remembered him since news came that the Navy veteran, longtime police officer, firefighter and high school security guard from Ridgefield died last week at 74.
Brierty “was a man of honor, respect and dignity,” said former Ridgefield Fire Chief Mike Kees. “He was a man who brought talent and dedication not only to our company but to the entire department.”
"Jim's purpose in life was to serve and show how you treat people," former firefighter Steve Rosone added. "That ultimately tells all the life he lived. Integrity and a warm smile mean everything."
Born at St. Mary’s Hospital in Jersey City, Brierty grew up in West New York and was graduated from St. Joseph’s High School.
He then joined the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War and was honorably discharged five years later.
Brierty went on to be a police officer for 34 years with the Erie Lackawana Railway and Guttenburg police, and also was a volunteer firefighter for more than 25 years in Guttenburg and Ridgefield.
After retiring as a police officer in 2004, Brierty became a security guard at Ridgefield Memorial High School – a position he kept for 14 years.
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ARRANGEMENTS: Visiting hours were scheduled from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at A.K. Macagna Funeral Home, 495 Anderson Ave, Cliffside Park.
A brief service will be conducted at the funeral home at 9 a.m. before a funeral Mass is offered at 10 a.m. at St. James Episcopal Church, 514 Abbott Avenue in Ridgefield. Cremation will be private.
Donations in lieu of flowers may be made in Brierty’s name to the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
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Although they respected him, many teenagers would also find comfort in talking with the 6-foot-3-inch gentle giant because, as his son, David, said, “he didn't beat around the bush.”
“Kids still come up to me and tell me how my father had such an effect on their lives,” David Brierty said. “It always made me so proud.”
His brother, Jimmy, called their dad his hero and mentor:
“He taught me everything I know including the importance of family, the value of hard work and how to put others before yourself. I am the man I am because of him."
Both sons continue to serve as firefighters in Ridgefield, where David is deputy chief of the department.
Their father had a way not just with high schoolers but also with young police officers and firefighters whom he mentored, creating what David called “a long line of effective and safe operators.”
Brierty “became an immediate asset” after joining the Ridgefield Fire Department, former colleague Paul Elenio said. “He brought a set of skills that were essential to us all. He became one of the brothers immediately."
“Big Jim was a hell of a driver and pump operator," fellow smoke eater Kevin McLaughlin added. "He always had a nice greeting for everybody"
Although you wouldn’t immediately know from the size of him, Brierty was a fairly reserved man, his son, David, noted.
That didn’t mean he didn’t get his points across when necessary.
“People always joked with my brother and I as we got older and said, ‘Your dad must’ve kicked your ass when you acted up’,” his son said. “And the truth is: He didn’t have to. For those who have never heard my father raise his voice, you had 2 options, change your underwear or run and hide.
“It was truly like a lion’s roar.”
James Henry Brierty III -- whose wife, Nancy (nee Kruse), died in January 2018 at 66 -- passed peacefully on May 24 at the Villa Marie Claire Hospice in Saddle River.
He leaves behind not only his two boys Jimmy (and wife, Erin) and David (and wife, Nicole), his grandchildren, J.T. and Kaitlyn, and cherished canines Chloe and Olive, as well as many loving nieces, nephews and friends.
Jim Brierty also passes on a rich legacy of public service to the next generation.
“The service he provided to the country both at home and abroad is something my family is deeply proud of,” David Brierty said. “My brother and I will continue his legacy of service and do our very best for our communities.”
ALL PHOTOS: Courtesy Brierty Family
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