West Islip Fire District Commissioner Mitch Lohan dies at 57
Mitch Lohan, a West Islip Fire District commissioner and a longtime member of the volunteer fire department, died on July 1 at age 57. Credit: Lohan family
West Islip Fire District Commissioner Mitch Lohan has been described as a larger-than-life man with a "contagious smile" who was known for his enthusiastic bear hugs.
Lohan died on July 1 of cancer. He was 57.
The West Islip native was honored by hundreds of mourners during his funeral services Friday.
Lohan joined the West Islip Fire Department in 1983 and was a member of Mohawk Engine Co., where he served as a former captain. He was elected a fire commissioner in 2019.
“He was big, burly and tough, but with a heart of gold,” said Mark DeHos of West Islip. DeHos, who considered Lohan a brother, said their friendship bloomed in high school and solidified when Lohan moved in with DeHos’ family when he was 18. The two shared mischievous stories from their teenage years, but “some things are better left unsaid,” DeHos recalled with a laugh. Lohan’s firefighting career led DeHos to join the department.
Lohan’s son, Matthew Lohan, followed in his father’s footsteps five years ago, said West Islip Fire Assistant Chief Robert Celeste.
“As much as you can’t replace Mitch, Matthew is the spitting image of Mitch. His disposition, his mannerisms, his positivity,” Celeste said, adding that the son shared Lohan's most beloved characteristics.
And it’s positivity that comes to mind when remembering Mitch Lohan's personality and character, Celeste said. After their first meeting, Lohan treated him like family, as he did with all his friends, the assistant chief said.
If Lohan liked you, he’d answer your 3 a.m. call. If he really liked you, he’d bust your chops, DeHos said. Lohan was “a clown and a half,” his friend said. And he was serious about the things he cherished: his family, his community and the fire department.
“He ate, slept and breathed this place,” DeHos said.
Celeste, who climbed the department ranks alongside Lohan, called him “an integral part of the department since Day One.” Lohan leaves an unforgettable mark on the department and his community, the assistant chief said.
“He leaves a void now of basically one of our key firefighters, someone who’s been involved in training and so many different organizations,” Celeste said.
Even after he stopped fighting fires, Lohan was at the firehouse every day. When he wasn’t tending to the department, he could be found coaching his son in lacrosse or helping his daughter with baton twirling when they were younger, DeHos said. Even after his children graduated middle and high school, Lohan was an active supporter of the youth sports teams.
Lohan also was a board trustee of the West Islip Exempt Firemen's Benevolent Association.
“His dedication to his family and this department are impossible to express into words,” the fire department posted on Facebook. “Everyone who has ever met Mitch knew that his contagious smile and fun-loving attitude was the best part about him.”
Lohan is survived by his wife, Diane, son Matthew and daughter Korrie, all of West Islip.
Brinley Hineman covers the Town of Hempstead and the City of Long Beach for Newsday. She previously was a reporter in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a West Virginia native.
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
