MENANDS, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Former Menands Fire Chief Stephen Lukovits passed away on September 16 at age 86. Lukovits—originally from Astoria, Queens—moved to Hoags Corners with his siblings and parents as a child, where he started his career as a volunteer firefighter.
Born on Oct. 13, 1936, Lukovits graduated high school in 1954 and enlisted in the Navy shortly after, where he was a Navy Corpsman. He was also stationed with the Marines as a corpsman, before being honorably discharged in 1958. Lukovits worked with his father as a house painter before being hired as the Superintendent of Park Lane Apartments in Menands.
He became a volunteer firefighter in Hoags Corner, and later in Menands, where he rose through the ranks to become fire chief. Lukovits was also Car 8 in the town of Colonie and was in charge of the fire police.
After retiring, Lukovits went on to work for the Hertz Corporation as a transporter at the Albany Airport, and later moved to Connecticut to do the same at Bradley Airport. He did this until his death.
Lukovits loved traveling on the Hudson River, going from Albany to Long Island Sound on his beloved boat the “Nautigal.” He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Barbara Lukovits, his three sons—Joseph, James, and Michael—and his two grandsons, Joshua and Jason.
Funeral services will be held on October 13, at St. Henry’s Roman Catholic Church in Averill Park. Visitation is at 11 a.m., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at noon, and then the burial in St. Henry’s Cemetery.