Orange County AOH is pleased to announce that

John B. Greehy

will represent Orange County AOH as

2012 Aide to the Grand Marshal -- NYC

ST. Patrick's Day Parade

Born in the Bronx, John Greehy was the fourth of five children born to Jack and Mel (nee Healy) Greehy, both of whom had emigrated from the Kilworth area in County Cork. John spent his early years in Rockaway Beach and Astoria, Queens and at the age of nine, moved to Ireland where he lived for two years in the Shandon Bells area of Cork City. At age eleven, John relocated to Fermoy, County Cork where he was educated by the Christian Brothers and then attended St. Coleman's College in Rathcormac where he developed his love of hurling and football.

John returned to the U.S. in 1959 where he began a career as an insurance surveyor. In 1964, he was drafted into the United States Army where he served as a military policeman at several military installations throughout the southwest. Upon being discharged from the Army, John was appointed to the New York City Fire Department in April of 1966 and was assigned to Engine Co. 35 in East Harlem where he proudly served for 30 years until his retirement in 1996.

John's earliest memories of the NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade are of when he began marching in the early 1940s with his parents and other proud members of County Cork. Little did his parents (or John) realize that one day he would be honored to march in this, the greatest of all parades, as an Aide to the Grand Marshall representing Orange County and his beloved Ancient Order of Hibernians.

John is well known to the Irish community in Orange County where in 1996, he was selected to be the Grand Marshall for the Mid Hudson St. Patrick's Parade. John continues to delight the crowds in Orange County as he serves as the grandstand parade announcer each year. John is a member of St. Thomas of Canterbury Parish in Cornwall and is active in fundraising and charitable work that supports local veteran's causes. He is a long-time volunteer at the Veteran's Hospital in Castle Point, NY. John has been an active member of the Father Donald J. Whelan, Division 2, Ancient Order of Hibernians in Cornwall, NY for more then twenty-five years. He is happily married for 45 years to Anne (nee Griffin) Greehy who hails from Galway City.