Ronald A. Deagan, a 29-year member of the Mahopac Volunteer Fire Department (MVFD) and lifelong resident of Mahopac, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, after suffering a medical emergency. He was 51.
Deagan, a former MVFD captain, was born in Yonkers on Jan. 22, 1974, the son of William J. and Joanna (Stuppin) Deagan. He graduated from Mahopac High School in 1992. He worked for several years as a maintenance technician with the Chappaqua School District and was the owner of SMS Heating in Mahopac. He served as captain of Engine Co. 3 at the Crane Road MVFD station and previously served as lieutenant of Engine Co. 1 at the department’s headquarters on Route 6.
According to his obituary, in his spare time Deagan loved to fish. He also loved his coffee, Bon Jovi music, and the Chicago Bears.
On Aug. 14, 1999, Deagan married Michele Harrigan at St. John the Evangelist Church in Mahopac. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughters, Gabrielle and Alexandra, both of Mahopac; his mother, Joanna of LakeCarmel; his brothers, William of Murrells Inlet, S.C., and John of Mahopac, also a member of the Mahopac Volunteer Fire Department; his sisters, Suzanne Deagan of Lake Carmel and Nancy Deagan of Pawleys Island, S.C.; as well as several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his father in 2008.
There was an outpouring of condolences on social media in the wake of Deagan’s death.
“What an extremely sad way to start the New Year,” wrote Michele Roeder Mahoney. “Ron Deagan was a selfless guy. He helped my son Seán prep for the physical exam for the fire department. He traveled all the way up to our house, brought all sorts of gear, and created an obstacle course for him. He was one of his biggest supporters, rooting him on throughout the whole process. He was truly an amazing dad to his daughters.”
Margaret Fitzgibbon called Deagan a “special and thoughtful man.”
The Kent Fire Department also offered consolation.
“The officers and members of the Kent Fire Department extend our deepest condolences to the Mahopac Volunteer Fire Department and the Deagan family on the passing of ex-captain Ronald Deagan,” the department wrote on Facebook. “Please keep the Deagan family and the members of the Mahopac Volunteer Fire Department in your thoughts and prayers.”
Friends may call on Thursday, Jan. 8, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Joseph J. Smith Funeral Home. Firematic services will take place at the funeral home at 7 p.m. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday, Jan. 9, at 10 a.m. at St. John the Evangelist Church in Mahopac. (Those attending the Funeral Mass are asked to go directly to the church.) Private cremation services will follow.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Ron may be made to the American Heart Association or the American Diabetes Association.
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