By JAMES O'KEEFE
The (Stamford) Advocate
May 24, 2000

STAMFORD - A Stamford native who spent the past 20 years fighting fires has lost his battle with cancer.

John W. Hoyt, the volunteer chief of the Springdale Fire Department, died Monday at Stamford Hospital of complications from Hodgkin's disease. He was 38.

"Firefighting just became part of him. It was in his blood," Margaret Hoyt, the chief's wife of almost 17 years, said yesterday.

His death has devastated the Springdale Fire Department, where Hoyt had been a volunteer for 13 years and chief for the past five.

"John was a firefighter through and through," said George Xylas, a Springdale fire captain and president of the department. "We're all stunned by the loss. We can't believe it. His coat is still hanging on the rack and it will probably stay there for a long time."

The firefighters have rallied around Margaret Hoyt since her husband's death. Their support and the support of her family and friends have helped ease the pain, she said.

"The brotherhood of the fire department is just amazing. The amount of people that loved him and admired him is unbelievable," she said. "I always knew I loved him, but I didn't know how much other people loved him, too."

John Hoyt was drawn to firefighting 20 years ago.

"When I met him, he always talked about wanting to be a fireman," Margaret Hoyt recalled. "I finally said, 'Just do it,' and he went down and applied at Glenbrook (Fire Department). It was a calling."

Hoyt later joined the Springdale Fire Department when he and his wife moved into the district.

During his tenure as chief, Hoyt was instrumental in forging a successful partnership with the Stamford Fire & Rescue Department to provide better fire protection for Springdale, Xylas said.

"He made an agreement with the city of Stamford to put an engine company in Springdale to respond with us to calls. It doubled our manpower," Xylas said. "It was a pretty bold and innovative thing. We're actually the only department in the country that has a volunteer company sharing its quarters with a paid city engine company."

Hoyt devoted himself to getting Springdale firefighters the best training and equipment possible.

"He really cared about his men, and he cared about his district," Xylas said.

In addition to his firefighting duties, Hoyt worked for the past seven years as a customer service representative at Inter Process Service Inc., a division of Schawk Inc. of Stamford. He also was a Scoutmaster for Troop No. 5 and a member of St. John's Episcopal Church of Stamford.

Hoyt was diagnosed 2 1/2 years ago with Hodgkin's disease - cancer of the lymph nodes - after complaining to his doctor about a persistent cough, his wife said.

"He still worked every day unless he was getting chemotherapy and still went to the fire drills and ran the fire department," Margaret Hoyt said. "He never gave up. He always believed he was going to be OK. He didn't want to die. He wanted to live."

While Hoyt was getting treatment, the Springdale Fire Department held a raffle for him to offset his expenses, Xylas said.

The VFW Post 9617, which is headquartered at the Springdale firehouse, also raised money to buy Hoyt a used car. They planned to present the chief with the vehicle when he got out of the hospital, Xylas said.

But Hoyt died unexpectedly Monday after undergoing a complicated surgical procedure to treat the disease, his wife said. She believes he may have developed an infection and was too weak to fight it.

"I've lost my best friend," Xylas said.

A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Friday, May 26, at St. John's Episcopal Church, at Main and Grove streets in downtown Stamford, across from Central Firehouse.

Burial will be private.

Born July 13, 1961, in Stamford, Hoyt was the son of John J. Hoyt Jr. and Agnes Dupree Hoyt of Norwalk.

In addition to his wife and parents, he is survived by a brother, Timothy A. Hoyt of Norwalk; and two sisters, Brenda A. Roos of Norwalk and Deborah M. Hoyt of Stamford.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Stamford Firefighters Burn Foundation, 629 Main St., Stamford, CT 06901; or to the Carl & Dorothy Bennett Cancer Center, Shelburne Road, Stamford, CT 06902.

Leo P. Gallagher & Son Funeral Home, 2900 Summer St., Stamford, is handling arrangements.