FDNY Lt. (Ret.) Joseph Stach Jr., cited for bravery so many times as a firefighter, known as a friend in his community and a hero to his family and to us all, has died. The culprit is, again, the toxic exposure that he suffered as he stayed, hour upon hour, day upon day, week after week, at the World Trade Center site, to aid with rescue and recovery efforts after the 2001 terrorist attacks.
Stach, 51, a longtime Valley Cottage resident who was born in Nyack, died on Jan. 7. He is survived by his wife, JoAnn Ryan-Stach, and five children: Darren, Corrin, Kayla, Ryan, and Tyler; his parents, Joseph Sr. and Lee Stach; and his sister, Lisa Ryder and her family.
According to FDNY records, Stach became a firefighter on Oct. 21, 1990. He served in Engine 48 and Ladder 56 and Ladder 6. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from St. Thomas Aquinas Collage in Sparkill. He served as life member of Empire Hook & Ladder Co. #1 in Upper Nyack.
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