Harold J. Mucci (1929-2021)

Feb. 12—Harold J. Mucci, a 27-year Toledo firefighter and dedicated member of Zenobia Shrine who was in demand off duty for drapery-hanging skills, died Sunday in his South Toledo home. He was 92.

He'd had heart problems, daughter Connie Warner said.

Mr. Mucci retired in November, 1982, from what is now the Toledo Fire and Rescue Department. He was appointed a firefighter in February, 1956, and spent his career at Station No. 21 at Detroit and Glendale avenues, assigned to be the primary driver of fire engines.

He was at the "Trail Fire" on June 10, 1961, when a gasoline tank truck on the Anthony Wayne Trail crashed, burned, and exploded. The inferno killed four firefighters and injured 71, firefighters and civilians included.

He became a paramedic early on after firefighters began to get that training, his daughter said.

A raconteur otherwise, he usually didn't say much about a shift's work at home.

"He would cope quietly and and not allow it to interfere with our day," his daughter said. "On occasion, he said, 'There are things you can't unsee.' He would leave it at that.

Advertisement

"He was just a really amazing man, serving others, keeping others safe," his daughter said. "He was so focused on serving others, which is evident with firefighting and his Masonic affiliations and the Zenobia Shrine."

Off duty, he hung draperies as an independent contractor. Such retailers as Hudson's, Macy's, and the Lion Store and such home design firms as Sahadi Interiors hired him to install draperies across the Toledo area.

For seven years until the early 1970s, he and his wife, Gloria, sold and installed commercial and residential draperies through their business, Gloria's Beauti Pleat Draperies.

A Mason, Mr. Mucci was a 73-year member of Barton Smith Lodge, F&AM, and took part in many Masonic groups. He placed great stock in the activities of the Zenobia Shrine, with its focus on fund-raising for Shriners' children's hospitals.

"That's why he was passionate about what he did at the Zenobia Shrine," his daughter said. "It supports children and supports others."

He and his wife were members of Eastern Star and became advisers to a Rainbow Girls group.

"My father to this day is still Dad Mucci to hundreds of girls," his daughter said.

Bernie Welniak, a former Zenobia Shrine potentate, said Mr. Mucci helped set up the stage curtains for the Royal Order of Jesters and played drums with the Shrine band and for the Patrol's competitive marching team. He volunteered for the annual Zenobia Shrine Circus.

"He was very conscientious. He was a true and blue fireman all the way. He had a good work ethic," Mr. Welniak said.

Mr. Mucci was a longtime sailor and boater — his parents had a cottage on Edgewater Drive in the Lost Peninsula — and he became a lifeguard, as his father had been. He in turn taught his children water skiing and other aquatic pursuits.

Born Feb. 5, 1929, to Helen and Jim Mucci, he grew up in South Toledo. He was a drummer from age 9 and played in bands at Libbey High School, of which he was a 1947 graduate, and at the University of Toledo. He also played in trios that performed for weddings and other events.

He was a veteran of the Naval Reserve and the Navy, and was a former member of St. Petri Lutheran Church and Epiphany Lutheran Church.

Surviving are his wife, the former Gloria Sniadak, whom he married May 15, 1954; sons, Howard and Bruce; daughters, Connie Warner and Cathy Trimble; seven grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

The family will receive guests after 2 p.m. Friday in Walter Funeral Home, with a Last Alarm service at 6 p.m. followed by a funeral service and Naval honors. Face coverings and social distancing will be required. A live stream of services will be available after 5:55 p.m. Friday from the link in Mr. Mucci's obituary at walterfuneralhome.com.

The family suggests tributes to the Toledo Firefighters' Museum or the Zenobia Shrine in Perrysburg Township.

___

(c)2021 The Blade (Toledo, Ohio)

Visit The Blade (Toledo, Ohio) at www.toledoblade.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.