Mahlon W. Irish, Jr.

Mahlon W. Irish, Jr., of Homer NY passed away after a long, hard fought battle with cancer.

Mahlon dedicated his life to serving his community. He was a 1974 graduate of Homer High School. Before he could drive, he obtained his pilot’s license and was a member of the Flying Club at Cortland County Airport.

Mahlon joined the Homer Fire Department in 1974 and served until the time of his death, for over 50 years. He held nearly every position in the department including, President, Assistant Chief, Deputy Chief and two terms as Chief of the Department. Mahlon spent many years as designer for Saulsbury Fire Apparatus until he achieved his true passion and was hired by the Ithaca Fire Department in 1991. Mahlon attained the rank of Lieutenant in 2005, a position that he held until his retirement in January of 2012. In his time with the Ithaca Fire Department, he was a part of several truck committees and was most passionate about restoring the cities’ horse drawn 1896 LaFrance steamer engine, built in Elmira, NY, which he restored to operational conditions, including pumping water. There wasn’t much Mahlon didn’t know about fire apparatus, specifically American LaFrance. His private collection, the Homeville Antique Fire Department was comprised of 12 American LaFrance’s, with a piece from every decade starting in 1920 through 1981.

Most recently, Mahlon obtained two of Homer Fire Departments original Brockway fire engines a 1939 and a 1950, both of which he has fully restored. Mahlon’s life was dedicated to the fire service; he spent 40 years as a state fire instructor where he taught countless numbers of firefighters both locally and statewide. He was an instructor for the Recruit Firefighter Training Program (RFFT) in Montour Falls. Mahlon assisted in authoring several New York State training programs such as Pump Operators and Aerial Operations programs.

After his cancer diagnosis in 2014, Mahlon made it his personal mission to educate firefighters about the risks of the job. He brought his presentation on the road and visited over 200 fire departments and educated nearly 3,000 firefighters. As a result of his mission, he was awarded the James P. Seavey Award from the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) in 2023. Mahlon was instrumental in the formation and construction of the Cortland County Regional Training Center, a project that started as a vision that has grown into one of the premier training centers in the state.

Within Cortland County he was a part and chaired many boards and committees, Mahlon was the longest serving Chairman of the Cortland County Fire Advisory Board, a position he held for 20 years, he additionally served with the Cortland County Fire Investigation Team, Cortland County Fire Chiefs Association, NYS Chiefs Association and a longtime member of SPAAMFAA (Society for Preservation and Appreciation of Antique Motorized Fire Apparatus).

He was predeceased by his mother, Shirley Irish. Mahlon is survived by his father Mahlon W. Irish, Sr.; sister, Debra (David) Welsh; nephews, Michael (Rebecca) Biviano, Stephen (Amber) Welsh, Kyle Welsh; a niece, Amie (Dylan) Biviano. Several great nieces and nephews and his beloved companion, Aeriel.

Calling hours will be held at the Homer Fire Department, 45 South Main Street, Homer, on Friday, January 2, 2026 from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m.  

Funeral services, with full fire service honors, will be held at the fire department at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 3, 2026.

In lieu of flowers, Mahlon has asked for donations be made to the Homer Fire Department Benevolent Fund, P.O. Box 58, Homer, NY 13077 or Hospicare and Palliative Care Center, 172 East King Road, Ithaca, NY 14850.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mahlon W. Irish, Jr., please visit our floral store.