Patrick Aloysius Hoey (1947-2001) was an executive manager of tunnels, bridges and terminals for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He died in the collapse of One World Trade Center in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Born in Englewood on November 24, 1947, Hoey moved to Middletown in 1977. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from Newark College of Engineering in 1969 and was active in groups including the Vincent T. Lombardi Council of the Knights of Columbus in Leonardo.
One of his proudest moments during his 31 years with the bistate agency came in about 2000. A new American flag he was instrumental in securing for special occasions was hoisted for the first time from the George Washington Bridge.
"He always considered the bridge his. He treated each facility like it was his house and exhibited consistent concern that they were all kept in great condition," recalled John Drobny of Old Bridge, assistant director of infrastructure management for the Port Authority.
Mr. Hoey's office was located on the 64th floor of One World Trade Center. He took the train to Hoboken and then ferried into New York City every morning accompanied by his youngest son, Michael, 24, of Hoboken, who works at the New York Stock Exchange.
The Port Authority office was equipped with video monitors displaying live scenes from the city's tunnels, airports and bridges.
Hoey was there, as were a dozen or so other engineers from his office, unsure what had caused the terrible explosion 30 floors above them, unsure what they should do. "What do you suggest?" Mr. Hoey asked a sergeant at the Port Authority's central police dispatch desk in Jersey City, whom he reached by telephone about 25 minutes after the first plane hit, and shortly after the second plane hit the south tower. "Stand tight," came the reply from the sergeant. "Stay near the stairwells and wait for the police to come up."
It was a piece of advice that may have cost Mr. Hoey and the other Port Authority engineers their lives. Thousands of office workers who were below the plane impact floors in the north and south towers survived on Sept. 11.
"They will come up, huh?" Mr. Hoey asked the sergeant again, after being told to hang tough and stay put. "They will check each floor? If you would, just report we're up here."
"I got you," the sergeant replied.
The group did as the sergeant suggested. Finally, nearly an hour and a half after the north tower had been hit, Mr. Hoey called in again. "The smoke is getting kind of bad," he told the police desk. "We are contemplating going down the stairwell. Does that make sense?" This time, the reply was different. "Yes. Try to get out," the police desk officer said. "All right. Bye," came Mr. Hoey's response.
They then proceeded to walk single file down Stairway B, passing firefighters going up on the way. He and the others made it to the 22nd floor before the building collapsed.
"I talked to him and my mother talked to him (after the first plane hit). He was very calm and was more concerned about getting everybody on his floor out. My father is a hero and saved some people's lives," Michael Hoey said.
"He had a heart of gold," said Drobny. "He struck the perfect balance between being a tough taskmaster and being very sensitive to his staff. He celebrated life to the fullest."
From his obituary:
Besides his son Michael, Mr. Hoey is survived by Eileen, his wife of 31 years; two other sons, Brian of Elkridge, Md., and Robert T. of Ashburn, Va.; a daughter, Sharon, of Middletown; his mother, Lucille, of Ramsey; two brothers, John of Sea Bright and Timothy of Melrose, Mass.; three sisters, Kathleen Higgins and Eileen Byrne, both of Ramsey, and Theresa Komlo of Leesburg, Va.; and several nieces and nephews.
His father, John V. Hoey Jr., died in 1983.
Visitation will be tonight from 7 to 9 p.m. and tomorrow from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at the John F. Pfleger Funeral Home, 115 Tindall Rd., Middletown. The funeral will start at the funeral home Friday at 10 a.m. and proceed to St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church on Church Street in New Monmouth for a 10:45 a.m. service. Burial will follow in the Fair View Cemetery in Middletown.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Rainbow Foundation, P.O. Box 545, New Monmouth, N.J. 07748.
The Obituary: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/patrick-hoey-obituary?pid=94808
News Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/29/nyregion/hope-and-heroism-turned-to-horror-on-a-fateful-day.html
Born in Englewood on November 24, 1947, Hoey moved to Middletown in 1977. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from Newark College of Engineering in 1969 and was active in groups including the Vincent T. Lombardi Council of the Knights of Columbus in Leonardo.
One of his proudest moments during his 31 years with the bistate agency came in about 2000. A new American flag he was instrumental in securing for special occasions was hoisted for the first time from the George Washington Bridge.
"He always considered the bridge his. He treated each facility like it was his house and exhibited consistent concern that they were all kept in great condition," recalled John Drobny of Old Bridge, assistant director of infrastructure management for the Port Authority.
Mr. Hoey's office was located on the 64th floor of One World Trade Center. He took the train to Hoboken and then ferried into New York City every morning accompanied by his youngest son, Michael, 24, of Hoboken, who works at the New York Stock Exchange.
The Port Authority office was equipped with video monitors displaying live scenes from the city's tunnels, airports and bridges.
Hoey was there, as were a dozen or so other engineers from his office, unsure what had caused the terrible explosion 30 floors above them, unsure what they should do. "What do you suggest?" Mr. Hoey asked a sergeant at the Port Authority's central police dispatch desk in Jersey City, whom he reached by telephone about 25 minutes after the first plane hit, and shortly after the second plane hit the south tower. "Stand tight," came the reply from the sergeant. "Stay near the stairwells and wait for the police to come up."
It was a piece of advice that may have cost Mr. Hoey and the other Port Authority engineers their lives. Thousands of office workers who were below the plane impact floors in the north and south towers survived on Sept. 11.
"They will come up, huh?" Mr. Hoey asked the sergeant again, after being told to hang tough and stay put. "They will check each floor? If you would, just report we're up here."
"I got you," the sergeant replied.
The group did as the sergeant suggested. Finally, nearly an hour and a half after the north tower had been hit, Mr. Hoey called in again. "The smoke is getting kind of bad," he told the police desk. "We are contemplating going down the stairwell. Does that make sense?" This time, the reply was different. "Yes. Try to get out," the police desk officer said. "All right. Bye," came Mr. Hoey's response.
They then proceeded to walk single file down Stairway B, passing firefighters going up on the way. He and the others made it to the 22nd floor before the building collapsed.
"I talked to him and my mother talked to him (after the first plane hit). He was very calm and was more concerned about getting everybody on his floor out. My father is a hero and saved some people's lives," Michael Hoey said.
"He had a heart of gold," said Drobny. "He struck the perfect balance between being a tough taskmaster and being very sensitive to his staff. He celebrated life to the fullest."
From his obituary:
Besides his son Michael, Mr. Hoey is survived by Eileen, his wife of 31 years; two other sons, Brian of Elkridge, Md., and Robert T. of Ashburn, Va.; a daughter, Sharon, of Middletown; his mother, Lucille, of Ramsey; two brothers, John of Sea Bright and Timothy of Melrose, Mass.; three sisters, Kathleen Higgins and Eileen Byrne, both of Ramsey, and Theresa Komlo of Leesburg, Va.; and several nieces and nephews.
His father, John V. Hoey Jr., died in 1983.
Visitation will be tonight from 7 to 9 p.m. and tomorrow from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at the John F. Pfleger Funeral Home, 115 Tindall Rd., Middletown. The funeral will start at the funeral home Friday at 10 a.m. and proceed to St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church on Church Street in New Monmouth for a 10:45 a.m. service. Burial will follow in the Fair View Cemetery in Middletown.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Rainbow Foundation, P.O. Box 545, New Monmouth, N.J. 07748.
The Obituary: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/patrick-hoey-obituary?pid=94808
News Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/29/nyregion/hope-and-heroism-turned-to-horror-on-a-fateful-day.html
Patrick Aloysius Hoey (1947-2001) was an executive manager of tunnels, bridges and terminals for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He died in the collapse of One World Trade Center in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Born in Englewood on November 24, 1947, Hoey moved to Middletown in 1977. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from Newark College of Engineering in 1969 and was active in groups including the Vincent T. Lombardi Council of the Knights of Columbus in Leonardo.
One of his proudest moments during his 31 years with the bistate agency came in about 2000. A new American flag he was instrumental in securing for special occasions was hoisted for the first time from the George Washington Bridge.
"He always considered the bridge his. He treated each facility like it was his house and exhibited consistent concern that they were all kept in great condition," recalled John Drobny of Old Bridge, assistant director of infrastructure management for the Port Authority.
Mr. Hoey's office was located on the 64th floor of One World Trade Center. He took the train to Hoboken and then ferried into New York City every morning accompanied by his youngest son, Michael, 24, of Hoboken, who works at the New York Stock Exchange.
The Port Authority office was equipped with video monitors displaying live scenes from the city's tunnels, airports and bridges.
Hoey was there, as were a dozen or so other engineers from his office, unsure what had caused the terrible explosion 30 floors above them, unsure what they should do. "What do you suggest?" Mr. Hoey asked a sergeant at the Port Authority's central police dispatch desk in Jersey City, whom he reached by telephone about 25 minutes after the first plane hit, and shortly after the second plane hit the south tower. "Stand tight," came the reply from the sergeant. "Stay near the stairwells and wait for the police to come up."
It was a piece of advice that may have cost Mr. Hoey and the other Port Authority engineers their lives. Thousands of office workers who were below the plane impact floors in the north and south towers survived on Sept. 11.
"They will come up, huh?" Mr. Hoey asked the sergeant again, after being told to hang tough and stay put. "They will check each floor? If you would, just report we're up here."
"I got you," the sergeant replied.
The group did as the sergeant suggested. Finally, nearly an hour and a half after the north tower had been hit, Mr. Hoey called in again. "The smoke is getting kind of bad," he told the police desk. "We are contemplating going down the stairwell. Does that make sense?" This time, the reply was different. "Yes. Try to get out," the police desk officer said. "All right. Bye," came Mr. Hoey's response.
They then proceeded to walk single file down Stairway B, passing firefighters going up on the way. He and the others made it to the 22nd floor before the building collapsed.
"I talked to him and my mother talked to him (after the first plane hit). He was very calm and was more concerned about getting everybody on his floor out. My father is a hero and saved some people's lives," Michael Hoey said.
"He had a heart of gold," said Drobny. "He struck the perfect balance between being a tough taskmaster and being very sensitive to his staff. He celebrated life to the fullest."
From his obituary:
Besides his son Michael, Mr. Hoey is survived by Eileen, his wife of 31 years; two other sons, Brian of Elkridge, Md., and Robert T. of Ashburn, Va.; a daughter, Sharon, of Middletown; his mother, Lucille, of Ramsey; two brothers, John of Sea Bright and Timothy of Melrose, Mass.; three sisters, Kathleen Higgins and Eileen Byrne, both of Ramsey, and Theresa Komlo of Leesburg, Va.; and several nieces and nephews.
His father, John V. Hoey Jr., died in 1983.
Visitation will be tonight from 7 to 9 p.m. and tomorrow from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at the John F. Pfleger Funeral Home, 115 Tindall Rd., Middletown. The funeral will start at the funeral home Friday at 10 a.m. and proceed to St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church on Church Street in New Monmouth for a 10:45 a.m. service. Burial will follow in the Fair View Cemetery in Middletown.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Rainbow Foundation, P.O. Box 545, New Monmouth, N.J. 07748.
The Obituary: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/patrick-hoey-obituary?pid=94808
News Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/29/nyregion/hope-and-heroism-turned-to-horror-on-a-fateful-day.html
Born in Englewood on November 24, 1947, Hoey moved to Middletown in 1977. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from Newark College of Engineering in 1969 and was active in groups including the Vincent T. Lombardi Council of the Knights of Columbus in Leonardo.
One of his proudest moments during his 31 years with the bistate agency came in about 2000. A new American flag he was instrumental in securing for special occasions was hoisted for the first time from the George Washington Bridge.
"He always considered the bridge his. He treated each facility like it was his house and exhibited consistent concern that they were all kept in great condition," recalled John Drobny of Old Bridge, assistant director of infrastructure management for the Port Authority.
Mr. Hoey's office was located on the 64th floor of One World Trade Center. He took the train to Hoboken and then ferried into New York City every morning accompanied by his youngest son, Michael, 24, of Hoboken, who works at the New York Stock Exchange.
The Port Authority office was equipped with video monitors displaying live scenes from the city's tunnels, airports and bridges.
Hoey was there, as were a dozen or so other engineers from his office, unsure what had caused the terrible explosion 30 floors above them, unsure what they should do. "What do you suggest?" Mr. Hoey asked a sergeant at the Port Authority's central police dispatch desk in Jersey City, whom he reached by telephone about 25 minutes after the first plane hit, and shortly after the second plane hit the south tower. "Stand tight," came the reply from the sergeant. "Stay near the stairwells and wait for the police to come up."
It was a piece of advice that may have cost Mr. Hoey and the other Port Authority engineers their lives. Thousands of office workers who were below the plane impact floors in the north and south towers survived on Sept. 11.
"They will come up, huh?" Mr. Hoey asked the sergeant again, after being told to hang tough and stay put. "They will check each floor? If you would, just report we're up here."
"I got you," the sergeant replied.
The group did as the sergeant suggested. Finally, nearly an hour and a half after the north tower had been hit, Mr. Hoey called in again. "The smoke is getting kind of bad," he told the police desk. "We are contemplating going down the stairwell. Does that make sense?" This time, the reply was different. "Yes. Try to get out," the police desk officer said. "All right. Bye," came Mr. Hoey's response.
They then proceeded to walk single file down Stairway B, passing firefighters going up on the way. He and the others made it to the 22nd floor before the building collapsed.
"I talked to him and my mother talked to him (after the first plane hit). He was very calm and was more concerned about getting everybody on his floor out. My father is a hero and saved some people's lives," Michael Hoey said.
"He had a heart of gold," said Drobny. "He struck the perfect balance between being a tough taskmaster and being very sensitive to his staff. He celebrated life to the fullest."
From his obituary:
Besides his son Michael, Mr. Hoey is survived by Eileen, his wife of 31 years; two other sons, Brian of Elkridge, Md., and Robert T. of Ashburn, Va.; a daughter, Sharon, of Middletown; his mother, Lucille, of Ramsey; two brothers, John of Sea Bright and Timothy of Melrose, Mass.; three sisters, Kathleen Higgins and Eileen Byrne, both of Ramsey, and Theresa Komlo of Leesburg, Va.; and several nieces and nephews.
His father, John V. Hoey Jr., died in 1983.
Visitation will be tonight from 7 to 9 p.m. and tomorrow from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at the John F. Pfleger Funeral Home, 115 Tindall Rd., Middletown. The funeral will start at the funeral home Friday at 10 a.m. and proceed to St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church on Church Street in New Monmouth for a 10:45 a.m. service. Burial will follow in the Fair View Cemetery in Middletown.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Rainbow Foundation, P.O. Box 545, New Monmouth, N.J. 07748.
The Obituary: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/patrick-hoey-obituary?pid=94808
News Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/29/nyregion/hope-and-heroism-turned-to-horror-on-a-fateful-day.html
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
