Havre de Grace bid adieu to one of its best loved residents this week, as John Eugene "Jack" McLhinney was laid to rest Monday in Mt. Erin Cemetery.
Mr. McLhinney died May 29 at age 85. He was the son of a former city mayor, the late Walter McLhinney, and a partner in the family's McLhinney's News Depot.
He was active in civic and fraternal organizations, in particular the Susquehanna Hose Company where he was the oldest living member at the time of his death. He served 63 years with the volunteer fire company, finally going inactive in 2011.
Mr. McLhinney, who was also known as "Jackie Mac," was inducted into the Harford – Cecil Firemen's Association Hall of Fame in 1990 and was a regular attendee at the annual Maryland State Firemen's Association convention in Ocean City.
Prior to his funeral, his casket was driven down Union Avenue on a Susquehanna Hose Company firetruck.
Several Havre de Grace City Council members acknowledged Mr. McLhinney's passing during Monday evening's council meeting.
Councilman John Correri called him an "icon," and Mayor Wayne Dougherty said Mr. McLhinney was "more than willing to do anything," including directing traffic during fires.
Council President Randy Craig said: "One great memory for me was the one resolution I handed out to Jack McLhinney."
"That's the legacy of Havre de Grace that has passed on to so many," he added.
