Loyalty and devotion were his calling card.

Above all else, community service was first and foremost in the heart of Edward J. Conarty Jr.

Conarty, 92, of Lehighton, died Thursday at The Phoebe Allentown Health Center, Allentown.

He was the husband of the late Mary (Chmel) Conarty, who died June 5, 2003. They were married in 1955.

A graduate of the old Lehighton Area High School, Conarty served our country with the U.S. Army during World War II with the 9201st Technical Support Unit, attaining the rank of sergeant. Serving as Lehighton fire chief was just one way he served the community.

Before his recent retirement, he was employed for the Bennett Organization as a salesperson.

Joe Bennett, president of Bennett Family Properties, said he first met Conarty when he worked for a carpet company when Bennett bought the Bennett Lehighton Ford dealership on Route 443.

“He came to put down the carpeting, and when he saw someone out on the lot, he went out and helped him, and the next thing you know it, he said they bought the car, so I said ‘you can’t leave; now that you’ve got the carpet installed you’ve got to stay here and sell cars with me and he did (in 1986),” Bennett said. “We became lifelong friends, and we worked together all this time because I discouraged him from retiring.”

Bennett said Conarty’s wife passed away “and he became a second grandfather to my children.”

“Eddie and I traveled all over, and he used to joke that he had the keys to the joint and I didn’t, which was true because every property that I bought, he had the keys and I didn’t even need them,” he said.

Bennett said Conarty was always on the ball.

“Eddie would remind me of an employee’s birthday, anniversary, and he was the kind of guy to call on anytime to be there. So I will miss my dear friend terribly,” he said. “He lived a wonderful life, as he and I went to the Thousand Islands together and all over.”

Bennett said Conarty was devoted to causes he believed in.

“When I would have to work, he would get there before me to my kids’ soccer games or other activities,” he said. “Just a wonderful guy, and he did so much for the community and always looked out for Lehighton; he would attend borough council meetings.”

Bennett said Conarty has been a friend and more to him for over 35 years.

“He was a man of great faith, and was very loyal to the (SS. Peter & Paul Roman Catholic) church, which was catty-cornered to his house, so he would be there to help out the priest, as does his sister Marie (Mriss),” he said. “The biggest heartache for Eddie was when he could no longer come to the dealership because he couldn’t drive, but he celebrated one of our co-worker’s birthdays in December.”

Conarty was also a retired fire Chief of the Lehighton Fire Department, was a founding member and former president of the Lehigh Fire Co. #1 Ambulance Association.

He previously served as treasurer of the 4 County Fireman’s Association, and held life memberships with Lehigh Fire Company #1, the Keystone Fire Chiefs Association, and held memberships with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Lodge #1284 Lehighton and The Lehighton American Legion Shoemaker/Haydt Post 314.

Paul Mriss, a firefighter with the Lehighton Fire Department since 1972, is Conarty’s nephew.

For as long as he can remember, Mriss said Conarty was all about the fire company.

“That was his life,” Mriss said. “Everything revolved around the fire department.”

In his time with the fire company, Mriss said Conarty was a firefighter, driver, lieutenant, assistant fire chief and fire chief.

“He loved his community service,” he said. “He rallied around that.”

Mriss said Conarty was also very fond of dogs.

“He loved dogs,” he said. “If he saw a dog, a dog got a biscuit.”

His obituary appears on Page 4.