Paul A. McManaman was born on December 19, 1969, the first child of Anthony and Diana McManaman of College Point, New York. He attended Holy Cross High School and graduated from the New York Institute of Technology, earning an architectural degree. He followed his father’s career path and joined the NYPD in 1997 but quickly switched to FDNY in early 2000.

Despite being a probationary firefighter on 9/11/2001, Paul was quickly recruited to join Squad 252. He spent most of his career serving the citizens of NYC and most especially Brooklyn at his beloved firehouse. His valiant bravery, alongside so many others during the nine-month-long recovery efforts, resulted in the cancer that swiftly took him from us on June 5, 2020.

Paul was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, and the occasional escape to a small cabin in Saratoga. He was a skilled craftsman and talented with all phases of construction and home improvement. He cherished practicing his cooking and bringing secret family recipes to the firehouse. Many of the best company parties were his ideas brought to life.

He was a physical giant who was tough enough to play football for FDNY and still gentle enough to plan, organize, and execute many years of elegant mother-daughter festivities at Saint Anne’s in Garden City. He was always patient enough to teach knots classes and fire safety to the Boy Scouts of Troop 134. His family was his priority, and his attendance at his children’s volleyball matches, no matter how near or far, was never in question.

His radiant smile is sorely missed by his wife, his two children, and so many others who were blessed to call him friend.

He was a big man with a bigger heart.