Manny Pena

Manny Pena

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Manuel Pena, loving husband, devoted father and doting grandfather. He departed this world peacefully, surrounded by his family.
He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Ann; his five children (Michael, Debbie, Steve, Richard and Catherine); six grandchildren (Michael, Katie, Joe, Lauren, Lily and Lara), and the lucky people who got to marry into this Pena family.
He grew up in the Bronx. He served in the Navy during the Korean War. He joined the FDNY in 1958 and spent his entire career in Ladder 48 in the south Bronx until he retired due to a line-of-duty accident. He then worked for years after in the private sector.
He was tremendously proud of his career, but if you knew Manny, you’d know that’s just the backdrop for the real story of his life: his family and friends.
Manny was a man who was always loving, always loyal to the people he loved, and always right (though there are some dissenting opinions on that last bit). He found no greater happiness than surrounded by his family, and he came up with as many excuses as he could to make that happen, even if it involved bribing them to go away on vacations. His love was profound, his intellect prodigious, and his taste in beer terrible. He was a member of American Legion Post 1006 in Brentwood, N.Y.
He cheated death many times, and the world was a better place for it. He lived through a very serious injury with the fire department, survived stage four cancer for 12 years, and lived through three months in a hospital and rehab center due to COVID. After coming home for three months and being with his family, he left this earth on his terms, surrounded by his family. And that was not happenstance.
He was a planner and a provider. He provided for his wife and family, and they never wanted for anything. Seriously, you should see the box of instructions he left for his children to make sure his wife was cared for in fine fashion. Even in death, he had his say.
Manny, we will dearly miss hearing your voice, but forever, we will still be able to hear your words ringing in our heads. Put money in your 401k. Get the Capital One Venture card (the points are tremendous), but above all, always do the right thing.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Steven Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation or the William Randolph Hearst Burn Center.