Matt McDevitt was a 31-year-old member of FDNY Ladder 135 who courageously battled a rare cancer called NUT carcinoma for two years. Matt and his amazing wife, Jackie, have both dedicated their lives to helping others, Matt as a firefighter and Jackie as a physician assistant. They have a three-year-old boy, James, and a beautiful baby girl, Mila, who just turned one in July 2020. Matt wanted nothing more in life than to be a father and a firefighter and went above and beyond in both roles. Matt was relentless, positive, and most of all a resilient fighter.
Matt’s captain in the FDNY, Richard Blasi, states the following, “All the greatest words associated with great firemen belong to Matthew McDevitt. He was strong, motivated, confident, displayed integrity, and was steadfast and disciplined when the heat was on. Everyone knew beyond any doubt that you could depend on Matt to get the job done on any given tour, no matter the type of call. However, among all his qualities, his spirit, energy, and outlook on life is what will be instilled in the hearts of those who had the honor to work alongside him. Matthew’s fight, as well as compassion, will be carried by each member of his firehouse for the remainder of their career, and his uplifting sense of character held sacred for a lifetime.”
Losing a nephew is hard no matter what the circumstances, but the loss of Matthew has affected us all so deeply. I not only have the honor of being Matthew’s uncle but also his Godfather. He has been a blessing to us since the moment he arrived on this earth. We watched Matthew grow from a beautiful baby boy to an adorable toddler to a handsome teen and then finally into a gorgeous, loving, kind, thoughtful, courageous, man. To say we miss him would be an understatement. Not a day goes by that we don’t think and speak about him. Matthew had such a positive affect on so many lives while he was alive and is still, to this very day, affecting so many. The pain will always, always remain in our heart with the loss of our dear Matt. Until we meet again Matthew, remember we LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK and then some!
– Uncle John and Aunt Vicki