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Dutchess County resident John Garbowski of Hopewell Junction, who served with the Yonkers Fire Department for two decades, died unexpectedly on Wednesday, Jan. 3 at the age of 66, according to his obituary.
Born in Yonkers in 1957, Garbowski originally joined the Yonkers Fire Department in 1989, when he was assigned to Engine 304 before later being assigned to Station 13.
A few years later in 1992, he moved back to Engine 304 and was a member of Station 4 for the rest of his career before he eventually retired in 2009 after 20 years and 29 days of service.
Garbowski also worked for the department's union, Local 628, and served as Union President until 2005.
In addition to his career as a firefighter, Garbowski was an avid outdoorsman and also loved cooking and sharing a meal with loved ones, his obituary said.
To many who loved him, he was affectionately known as “Big John” or “Trophy Head."
"It was more than his stature or head that filled a room, it was his ability to tell a story with his quick wit and infectious laugh and smile," Garbowski's obituary read, continuing, "He is already deeply missed and will be remembered as a loving husband, a devoted father, and an amazing poppy. Nothing brought him more joy than his family."
Garbowski is survived by his wife, Lynn; his daughters and their husbands, Staci and Wayne Petroskey and Alexis and A.J. Dederick; his grandchildren, Calibur, Normandy, and Shepard; his brothers, Jimmy, Michael, Joseph, and Jerry; and several other family members.
Garbowski's full obituary can be read by clicking here.
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