By the family

Sept. 30, 2026: Hugh M. McGloin, 89, died on September 28, 2026, after a life defined by family, service, curiosity, and adventure. His story began in the Inwood section of Manhattan, but life would take him from New York to Bronxville and Washington, D.C., and to places around the world.

As a young man, Hugh joined the United States Marine Corps and was stationed in Japan. After returning home, he joined the New York City Fire Department, beginning a 30-year career during which he rose through the ranks to Lieutenant and then Captain. He remained especially proud of his early years as a young firefighter fighting fires in Harlem as the city was burning, and of his time with Rescue Company 1, one of the FDNY’s elite rescue companies.

During those early years, Hugh met Mary, the love of his life. They married in 1964, beginning a life together that would remain at the heart of everything that followed.

Retirement from the FDNY did little to slow him down. Hugh followed a longtime dream and moved to Paris, where he rented a room, studied French at L’Alliance Française, and immersed himself in the city and its culture.

When he returned to the United States, Hugh found a second career that perfectly combined two of his greatest passions: fire safety and travel. He joined the United States Department of State as a fire inspector for American embassies and consulates around the world. From his first trip to Africa, where he had a memorable run-in with the gorillas, to the United Kingdom, Asia, and South and Central America, he traveled the world with an adventurous spirit and an endless curiosity about the people and places he encountered. Whenever possible, he shared those adventures with his beloved wife, Mary, taking her along on the trips of her choosing.

His work and travels continued later with Marriott Hotels, allowing him to remain connected to the profession and sense of adventure that had shaped so much of his life.

Hugh lost Mary, his life-long partner, in 2009. His devotion to her was matched only by his devotion to his family. He was the kind of father and grandfather who showed up when he was needed. When his son was deployed overseas, Hugh thought nothing of putting his own life and work on hold and moving to Georgia to help care for his grandchildren. In later years, his love of travel became something he shared with his children and grandchildren as well, joining their families on trips that ranged from staying on a houseboat in Amsterdam to exploring their family history together in Ireland. For Hugh, travel was as much about the people he shared it with as the places he went.

Hugh was also endlessly curious and always learning. He was rarely without something to read and never stopped working to improve his French, a language and culture he loved throughout his life. A lifelong member of the Art Students League of New York, he also had a deep appreciation for the arts in all their forms, which remained an important part of his life.

Above all, Hugh was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He is survived by his son, Hugh M. McGloin Jr., and his wife, Regina, and their children, Michael, Megan, and Kevin; and his daughter, Alisann McGloin Fatemi, and her daughters, Caroline, Kathryn, and Anna Cristina. They will remember not only the remarkable life he lived, but the love, loyalty, humor, stories, and sense of adventure he shared with them.

From Inwood to the firehouses of New York City, from Paris to American embassies around the globe, Hugh lived a life measured not simply in years, but in experiences, places, people, and stories. He will be deeply missed by those who loved him and remembered with admiration, affection, and gratitude for a life very well lived.