‘It was his dream job’: John Whitney retires from Greenfield Fire Department after nearly 30 years

GREENFIELD — Capt. John Whitney officially retired from the Greenfield Fire Department last Friday, closing out a nearly 30-year career.

The retirement comes following news of a brain cancer diagnosis last year. On a GoFundMe page that was created to raise money to help support Whitney’s medical costs, his wife Emily Whitney explained that at the end of April, an MRI revealed that an earlier surgery and treatment were unsuccessful, and the tumor was growing.

“On April 29, we went to Dana-Farber [Cancer Institute] to meet with John’s oncology team with hopes of hearing that he would be eligible for a clinical trial, for additional chemotherapy or for radiation. We thought there might be a possibility of a second surgery. The meeting with his amazing team was not the optimistic appointment we were expecting,” Emily Whitney wrote. “We have all been processing the news and trying to make the most of every day. John has been doing fairly well lately, so we are focusing on living to how he is actually feeling instead of to the new diagnosis.”

Members of the Greenfield Fire Department held a celebration for Whitney on Friday, June 5, which Emily Whitney described as touching.

“The Fire Department did an incredible job celebrating him and there were a lot of people that showed up. It was really moving and overwhelming,” Emily Whitney said in a phone interview on Tuesday. “It was a very nice tribute.”

Whitney started his career with the department as an on-call response firefighter in the 1990s and joined full-time in 2001, Emily Whitney said.

Department members shared on Facebook that over the years, he served many roles in the department and was a role model for many.

“John’s career began on the ‘house force’ as a live-in firefighter supporting the call force before eventually being hired full-time. Throughout his distinguished career, he served in numerous roles, including fire prevention officer, fire investigator and many others. Through hard work, dedication and leadership, he rose through the ranks to captain and faithfully served as the officer of Group 2 for many years,” the Fire Department wrote. “Following a sudden diagnosis of brain cancer, John’s retirement marks the end of an extraordinary chapter of service to our department and community. His career is a reminder of the importance of valuing the time we spend with one another and appreciating those who dedicate themselves to serving others.

“John has been a respected leader, mentor and friend to countless members of our department. His knowledge, commitment and passion for the fire service have left a lasting impact that will not be forgotten,” the department continued. “We thank Capt. Whitney for his many years of dedicated service and wish John and the entire Whitney family nothing but the very best going forward.”

Fire Chief Robert Strahan added in a phone interview that he considers Whitney to be a good friend and he will be missed by the firefighters.

“He’s had a very distinguished career,” Strahan said. “Capt. Whitney has been a valued member of the department. … He was a very trusted fire officer whose knowledge and experience were immensely valuable in the field.”

Emily Whitney shared that her husband considered working with Group 2 to be one of the highlights of his career.

“He loved being a shift captain,” she said. “He loved the camaraderie of the group.”

“He always came to work with a smile on his face,” Strahan said. “There’s a big hole left by his retirement.”

In retirement, Emily Whitney said John plans to continue treatment and spend time with family, especially the couple’s three sons, at John’s favorite lake in New Hampshire.

“Our boys are home for the summer and we’re hoping to have a lot of family time,” she said.

Emily Whitney said that John loved being a firefighter, and that leaving the station on Friday was melancholic and difficult.

“It was a bittersweet day. He didn’t want to retire,” Emily Whitney said. “He loved being a firefighter. He thought it was his dream job.”