John J. Narkin III, retired fire battalion chief and Hall of Fame Mummer, has died at 54
He was promoted from Philadelphia firefighter to lieutenant in 2004, to captain in 2012, and to battalion chief in 2017.
John J. Narkin III, 54, formerly of Philadelphia, retired battalion chief of the Philadelphia Fire Department, former director of the hazardous material administrative unit, safety training expert, mentor, veteran, and Hall of Fame Mummer, died Tuesday, May 27, of duty-related cancer at his home in The Villages, Fla.
Mr. Narkin joined the Fire Department in 1996 and spent 28 years, until his early retirement in 2024, fighting fires, handling medical and hazardous material emergencies, lecturing around the country, and mentoring fire academy cadets and other firefighters. He was promoted from firefighter to lieutenant in 2004, to captain in 2012, and to battalion chief in 2017.
The department is expected to promote him posthumously to deputy chief. “His success,” his family said in a tribute, “was driven by his love of being a fireman.”
He established J. Narkin Training & Consulting for hazardous material response, safety training, and drill planning in 2007, and lectured at hazardous material conferences and exercises in Philadelphia, Valley Forge, and elsewhere. He testified in court cases concerning fires and earned citations from the department for his long service.
He worked the night shift when he was younger and became a station chef for Ladder 5, specializing in sausage, chicken pot pie, and biscuits and gravy. When his assignment changed, he passed his recipes on to his successor.
He was diagnosed with cancer in 2018 and at first was denied service-connected disability benefits from the city. In 2022, after his union, Inquirer columnist Jenice Armstrong, then-City Councilmember David Oh, author Tim McGrath, and others objected, the city reversed that decision.
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In 2019, Mr. Narkin formed a Fight For Air Climb team in Philadelphia that competed in a step-climbing fundraiser for the American Lung Association. In 2022, to honor his continued support for the annual event, the association created the John Narkin Award for the top step-climbing fundraising firefighter in Philadelphia.
Friends called him “a true friend, great leader, and fighter” and “an amazing guy” in online tributes. Officials at the American Lung Association praised his “dedication and strength” and said in a recent tribute: “He is an inspiring example who has made a positive impact in the lives of his fellow firefighters and others in the community affected by lung cancer.”
He was a longtime Fancy Brigade Mummer with the Bill McIntyre Shooting Stars and was recently inducted into its Hall of Fame. He is also in the Fancy Brigades Association Veterans Hall of Fame.
He earned a scholarship and an associate’s degree in fire science at Community College of Philadelphia in 2004, certification in hazardous material response at the National Fire Academy in Maryland in 2005, and a bachelor’s degree in public safety at Holy Family University in 2007.
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“John celebrated, embraced, embodied, and exemplified everything there was about being from Philadelphia,” his family said.
John Joseph Narkin III was born July 11, 1970, in Philadelphia. He graduated from Northeast High School in 1988 and spent four years in the Coast Guard.
He met Rebecca McElroy in Florida, and they married in 1994. He welcomed her sons and grandchildren into his family and lived for years in South Philadelphia.
Mr. Narkin played golf, followed the local sports teams, and enjoyed traveling with his wife. They relocated to Florida a few years ago.
He invited his fellow Mummers to parades in Florida, and they strutted together in Tampa for years. “He was a straightforward kind of person,” his wife said. “He had a drive to do better.”
A friend said: “John was one of the most decent men I have ever met in my life. I will truly miss his smile, patriotic approach to everything, and his positive attitude.”
In addition to his wife and her family, Mr. Narkin is survived by his father, a sister, a brother, and other relatives.
Visitation with the family is to be from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, June 12, and 9 to 11 a.m. Friday, June 13, at the Mummers Museum, 1100 S. Second St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19147. A service is to follow on Friday.
Donations in his name may be made to the American Lung Association, Fight for Air Climb Philadelphia, 625 N. Governor Printz Blvd., Suite 2, Essington, Pa. 19029.