Martin J. Callaghan, 85, a former Chicago firefighter who received commendations for bravery and was known for continuing to enter burning buildings even after he moved up in the ranks of the department, died Tuesday, Feb. 13, of heart failure in his Gurnee home. Born in Chicago, Mr. Callaghan became a postal carrier after graduating from high school. He married his wife, Dorothy, in 1940 and joined the Chicago Fire Department five years later. “I think he always wanted to be a fireman,” said his daughter Rose Mohr. In 1951, Mr. Callaghan was promoted to lieutenant at an engine company on the North Side. He was involved in rescues that won him city accolades for heroism–one time crawling through a burning building to rescue an elderly woman–but he never boasted, his family said. “He always felt that was just his job,” his daughter said. In 1953, he became a battalion chief, and in 1972, a division marshal. Raymond Bieschke, a former battalion chief who worked with Mr. Callaghan, said he was brave but never reckless and knew a lot about putting out fires. “He was a fireman’s fireman,” Bieschke said. Mr. Callaghan developed a reputation as a fair boss who wouldn’t ask others to go anywhere he wouldn’t go, said his son Martin. Mr. Callaghan retired in 1978 and moved from Chicago to Gurnee, where he spent time with his family. In addition to his son, daughter and wife, Mr. Callaghan is also survived by two other daughters, Patricia Hanrahan and Joan Doherty; three other sons, Thomas, Gerald and Michael; four sisters, Rose O’Malley, Catherine Rose, Elizabeth Rose and Winifred Cummings; 24 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. Services were held.
