George Scheer, member of Malverne Fire Department, FDNY, dies at 47

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Lifelong Malvernite George Scheer, a man recognized for his service to the community, died suddenly of unknown causes in his home on July 26. He was 47.
Scheer was a firefighter with the Malverne Fire Department for nearly 30 years, and he was a member of FDNY Engine Co. 249 in Brooklyn since 2003. Before joining the FDNY, Scheer worked with Malverne’s Department of Public Works from 1991 to 2003. In addition, he volunteered for the Malverne Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
“His hobbies were helping people,” said his wife, Fara. “He’d get the text, and off he’d go. Whatever it was that needed to be done, he stepped up. He always took care of everything.”
Fara’s friends started a GoFundMe page on July 28 to help support her family. As of press time, $18,740 had been raised, surpassing the $10,000 goal.
“I’m very, very thankful,” she said, “and I was really taken aback by the outpouring of love and support that we’ve received in this difficult time.”

That kind of support, she added, is why her husband wanted to stay in Malverne. “He wanted to raise his own children here so that they could have the same childhood that he did,” Fara said. “He wanted to have that sense of community, where everybody knows everybody.”
George began volunteering for the Malverne Fire Department in 1989, during his senior year at Malverne High School, starting out on the drill team — which won the New York State Old-Fashioned Championship firefighting tournament in 1991. Fara said that he received numerous awards and citations during his firefighting career, including being honored for helping to rescue a woman and her grandchild in Westbury during a housefire in 1996.
“He was the highest decorated Malverne firefighter,” said department Lt. Jay Houlihan. “He was one of the biggest voices in the firehouse.”
Since Scheer worked for the FDNY, Houlihan said, he could share tips and in-sight with Malverne’s firefighters. “He was one of the three senior guys at our fire department,” Houlihan said. “It’s invaluable to have somebody like that.”
“Besides all of that, he was just a great father and a great husband,” said Fara, who was married to George for 22 years. “His smile, his generosity, and just how good he was to his kids and their friends . . . he always made everybody feel welcome.”
In addition to his wife, Scheer is survived by two daughters; three sisters, Heidi, Anita and Susan; and his father, George. To contribute to the Scheer family’s fundraiser, go to bit.ly/2vouHFM.