LYNN — Lynn Fire Cpt. Ed Miles has many memories of legendary firefighter Rocco “Rocky” Brienzo. Growing up, Brienzo was both his Sunday School teacher and, after joining the Lynn Fire Department in 1949, went on to work alongside his father, George, on Engine Five at the Fayette Street Station in the 60s and 70s.
Over the years, it was Miles’ mother, May, who continued to keep in touch with Brienzo and would send pictures she’d found, including one where he’s standing next to George and Lt. Carl Benson with the 1920s Ahrens Fox Pumper from the 1920s.
They will now serve as cherished keepsakes of the man Brienzo was over the course of his life as Lynn’s oldest firefighter. Last week, on Jan. 30, he died at the age of 106.
“He’s what every firefighter should strive for,” Miles said. “He was hard working, honest, and lived a longer retirement than he worked, which is a success.”
Brienzo, who was born in East Boston in 1919, moved to Lynn with his family in 1929. After meeting his wife, Marguerite “Marge,” in 1940, he served in the Navy during World War II and officially joined the Lynn Fire Department in 1949. After 15 years of service, he became the department’s master mechanic before retiring in 1980.
“He could fix anything,” Miles said, looking back. “My father would bring us to the station (and) my brother, Jim, actually became a mechanic, and he always says, ‘(Rocky) is the reason he became a mechanic.'”
Brienzo’s legacy has long been celebrated in Lynn, including in 2023 with a celebration by Lynn firefighters, Fire Chief Daniel Sullivan and retired Fire Chief Stephen Archer, who honored him on his 104th birthday with a fire helmet that had “104” on it and took him for a ride on the fire boat, “The Rocky B,” which was named after him.
It was Miles who initially suggested to Chief Archer that they honor his namesake on the fire boat.
“He was just a guy that when you walked away from seeing them, you felt good. He brightened up your day, no matter when you spoke to him. All the other retirees say the same thing, ‘Whenever you say Rocky, everyone gets a smile on their face and they’re happy,” Miles said.
As they prepared for the celebration, the question of whether Brienzo would be able to physically get on the boat came up, but what they saw from him that day perfectly encapsulated the kind of valor that Brienzo carried himself with, even at that age.
“When we did the dedication for the boat, he like, jumped on it,” Miles said. “He jumped right over the rail, and we took him for a ride around the harbor. He was still moving fast and always had a smile on his face.”
As a man guided by faith, it was Brienzo who told The Daily Item that year that it was his attitude that was his secret to living such a long life.
“Life has its ups and downs, and the downs are just another part of your life,” he said then. “Just keep going to keep doing what your life demands. You don’t ever give up. Never have a negative attitude about anything, good or bad. Cherish everything. Life is beautiful, it’s definitely beautiful.”
