Bill was a loving husband‚ father‚ son‚ brother and friend. He felt very fortunate to be a New York City fireman and genuinely loved his profession. He truly valued the many friendships and the camaraderie of the job. He rose to the rank of Battalion Chief and was a real leader but he considered himself ‘one of the men’ and cherished his time as a fireman as his favorite. Some of his personal interests include the New York Yankees‚ boating‚ music and his Irish heritage. He was an outgoing fun loving man with strong values and passions‚ who knew how to enjoy life and bring enjoyment to all whose life he touched.
I worked with Billy for years and he was a tough Firefighter and an incredible Chief Officer. His picture should be in Webster’s dictionary under Firefighter, that’s how good he was. RIP bro.
– Robert GleasonI had the Honor to carry with me Chief William McGovern ‘s photo at the New Orleans 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb. I carried him with me to honor him and his sacrifice. God bless his family. We will NEVER forget!
– Jarrod EnglishI had the privilege of carrying William’s badge at the Run for the Fallen in Kroenwetter, WI. I am very honored to participate in this memorial run in Chief McGovern’s name.
– Firefighter Maggie McAuleyBilly loved life and is a hero. God Bless R.I.P.
– Robert BoikoToday in Midland Texas, I was honored to climb in remembrance of your husband. Being of Irish heritage as well, we did a shot of Jameson in his honor as well. Bless you guys!
– Harmonie ByersI had the honor of climbing the 9/11 memorial Stair climb 2022 honoring Chief William McGovern. May we Never Forget the sacrifice of our Brothers and Sisters on that day.
God bless his Family.
– Joshua FulkMy 8 year old daughter climbed 110 flights in Memory of Chief William McGovern on 9/10/22. May we never forget this brave man’s sacrifice.
– Shanna McKellerI knew Billy when we were 17 and 18 and hung out in Queens Village, Queens. His family moved to Belmore but he would come back to his old stomping grounds to hang out from time to time. He was very handsome and lots of fun. I’ll never forget him. Years later in my 50’s i dated Jack, a retired FDNY fireman for almost 2 yrs and he told me that he knew Billy very well and that he was lost that horrible day. 😢
– Christine DEMARTINO RoseI completed the 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI today. We were each given a badge from one of the fallen firefighters from that tragic day. I was given William’s badge and climbed those flights of stairs and rang the bell in his honer.
– Eulalie Leiton