O'Marra Remembered As Brave Firefighter, Loyal Town Servant

The death of Thomas R. O'Marra, Thursday from complications from a bypass surgery, left many in the Manchester community reeling with the news.

O'Marra, 68, had lived in Manchester with his family since 1967, was the town's former Zoning Enforcement Officer, and a volunteer member of the Manchester Fire Department, Eight Utilities District, for the past 37 years.

“Everybody’s in shock. It’s kind of a shock," said Paul Litrico, Chief of the Manchester Fire Department, Eight Utilities District. "Tom O’Marra was a mainstay in our department, and you always expected to see him around. It's kind of a somber moment for us."

In addition to O'Marra's volunteer work with the fire department – he held the post of Deputy Fire Marshall at his death – O'Marra was also active in the Knights of Columbus, Campbell Council and had served as Grand Knight.

"He was a very special person to many people, including myself," said Alisha Petrozza, who worked with O'Marra in the Manchester Building Department before his retirement and recalled him fondly Friday. 

Litrico said that O'Marra served as a mentor to him when he first joined the Eight Utilities District's fire department more than 20 years ago and that O'Marra was responsible for teaching him a lot of what he currently knows about firefighting. He said O'Marra would be greatly missed by many in the department.

“Tom just drove in discipline and respect of the fire service. He wanted to make sure that everybody knew when they came in that what we did was no joke," Litrico said. "...The long nights at the station and just talking and having a cup of coffee, you really learned a lot."

Besides his wife, Mary, O'Marra is survived by his children Thomas O'Marra and his wife Lynn, Meaghan O'Marra, Brian O'Marra, John O'Marra, Kathleen Clapp and her husband Edward, Mark O'Marra and his wife Denise, Molly O'Marra, and Elizabeth O'Marra; his grandchildren Victoria, Ryann, Christopher, Alexis, Connor, Mikayla, Zachary, Ashlynn, and Nicholas; and many nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, Sept. 19, at 10 a.m. at St. James Church 896 Main St. Manchester, followed by burial in St. Bridget's Cemetery, Manchester. Family and friends may call at the John F. Tierney Funeral Home 219 West Center St. Manchester, on Sunday from 3-7 p.m. For online condolences please visit O'Marra's page on the funeral home's website.