Submitted by his sister

Ed Conricote was a loving son‚ brother‚ uncle and devoted friend. His story as a firefighter is unique‚ as are all stories of fallen firefighters.

Born on July 14‚ 1948 in Youngstown‚ Ohio he was the first son of Edward and Mary Margaret Conricote. He grew up in a loving Irish Catholic family. As a young boy‚ he dreamed of being a fireman and old neighborhood friends recall pretending to be firemen with him. Growing up‚ he spent many hours at Madison Ave. Station Seven in Youngstown‚ a place he visited regularly until the day he died. His car license plate paid tribute to his favorite station; ENG71NE.

He graduated from Ursuline High School in 1966 and his faith and caring for others drew him to the seminary. He was ordained a Catholic priest on June 8‚ 1974. He served many areas of the Youngstown Diocese for over 15 years. With every assignment change he quickly became the local fire Chaplain. He served as chaplain to the cities of Youngstown‚ Alliance and Warren‚ Ohio. One fire fighter from Alliance tells the story of Fr. Ed. waiting in front of St. Joseph Church to jump on the truck as it went by on a call. He was often known to hold early Sunday mass for fire fighters getting off shift.

At his funeral we heard many stories of his kindness. He inspired many people to return to the Catholic Church. He was always available to offer support and counsel to those suffering emotional problems. We were told times he had provided Christmas gifts or money to a fellow firefighter in need. He had an unassuming and nonjudgmental approach to all people. He saw the good in all people. His funny laugh and big heart were open for anyone.

He became disillusioned with the priesthood in the late 80’s and resigned‚ but he never lost his faith in God and his love of the Church. He continued to discuss church history and politics throughout his life. Many of his close friends were priests and he remained active at his parish‚ Immaculate Conception‚ as a lector and Eucharist Minister. A close friend said‚ ‘He quit being a minister but he never quit ministering to people.’

He suffered some heart problems in the early 1990’s‚ requiring surgery. At that point he realized his dream of becoming an active duty full time fire fighter was impossible. He took a job working for Liberty Township and was able to become an active volunteer with their department. He told me often how happy he was; he seemed to finally fulfill a dream. Fire Fighting was his passion. He studied the science‚ attended conventions‚ collected memorabilia‚ was active in a pager group and simply enjoyed spending time at the firehouse. There were very few fire fighters in the area he did not know.

Outside the fire world‚ Ed’s other passion was his family. He was devoted to his parents and helped them especially as they began to age. His father passed away in 1996 and after that he cared for his mom‚ taking her to mass weekly‚ having dinner with her many evenings‚ and supporting her through several health crisis. She misses him very much.

He loved his 4 nieces and 4 nephews. He enjoyed teasing them and was really a kid at heart when he was with them. He kept track of their athletic events and held them accountable for their grades!! He loved family gatherings‚ especially Christmas.

A scholarship was established in his name by the Liberty Fire Department. The funds came from generous donations by the community at the time of his death. The award will be given to a graduating senior from Liberty Township High School or the child of a Liberty Firefighter. It will be based on academic performance and community activities. Ed always valued education and he would be honored to know he was remembered in this way.

Although we miss him tremendously‚ we know he died doing what he loved. Our faith teaches us that he is in heaven and even in death he inspires our family to live as he did with a strong faith in God and a loving heart‚ always willing to help others.