Jacqueline Massey-Greene, a former fire commissioner with the Blue Hills Volunteer Fire Department, died at the age of 68 on July 12.
She was most recently known for her tenure as a fire commissioner and her platform, which emphasized accountability and transparency for the fire department.
The plea for reform came after NBC Connecticut did an investigation in 2016 into the unusually high benefits and allowances that the commissioners were giving to themselves.
Mark Manson, a fire commissioner who worked with her, described Massey-Greene as a person with a strong moral compass and sense of justice. According to him, she spoke her mind and didn’t beat around the bush with important issues. He resigned after she lost her board seat in a recent election.
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In 2021, NBC Connecticut reported on Manson and Massey-Greene speaking up about the fire commission’s lack of transparency in its application for a $120,459 loan from the government’s Paycheck Protection Program, an initiative meant to help struggling small businesses.
Massey-Greene admitted she made mistakes of her own as a fire commissioner, and later said she grew from them.
In 2018, she became embroiled in a controversy where she used taxpayer funds for a credit card on gas and shopping clubs; she said that cards shouldn’t be made to make those types of purchases.
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Massey-Greene also leveled a similar allegation that in part led to the termination of Blue Hills fire chief Robert Farmer.
According to Manson, she later felt that the firing of Farmer was a mistake and she apologized to the Farmer family profusely. Manson said that Farmer forgave her and they became friends.
Massey-Greene also advocated for people with housing problems, helping alert building officials to safety issues at several apartment complexes in town.
Massey-Greene was also a religious person, being heavily involved at the First Cathedral in Bloomfield.
Below is information on Massey-Greene's funeral arrangements:
- Visitation: Friday, August 5, 10-11 a.m., at The First Cathedral, 1151 Blue Hills Ave., Bloomfield
- Funeral Service: Friday, August 5, 11 a.m., at The First Cathedral, 1151 Blue Hills Ave., Bloomfield
- Burial: Following funeral service at Connecticut State Veterans Cemetery, Middletown
No cause of death has been given yet.
Massey-Greene’s family is raising money to fund the memorial service. Donations can be made here.
