Joseph Anthony Mirabile, a retired Baltimore City Fire Department captain who fought the Tru-Fit Clothing store blaze in 1955, died of renal failure complications Monday at his Dundalk home. He was 86.
Born in Baltimore and raised in Little Italy, he attended St. Leo's parochial and city public schools and later earned a General Education Diploma. He studied marine drawing at the Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts and won the school's Peabody Prize in 1956.
He joined the Navy in 1939 and served in the Pacific during World War II. Stationed at Pearl Harbor in December 1941, he was aboard a ship that left the naval base three days before the Japanese attack.
After the war, he joined the Baltimore City Fire Department. He was among the firefighters who battled the Tru-Fit clothing store fire on East Baltimore Street, which killed six firefighters. He spent the last part of his 44-year career in the Fire Prevention Bureau and inspected nursing homes and hospitals. He attained the rank of captain and retired in 1991.
He and his wife, the former Margaret Mamolito, enjoyed serving Sunday feasts with his family.
Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. tomorrow at Gardens of Faith Memorial Park, 5598 Trumps Mills Road in White Marsh.
Survivors include his wife of 61 years; four sons, Joseph W. Mirabile of Havre de Grace, Frank X. Mirabile of Stafford, Va., Paul J. Mirabile of Street and James A. Mirabile of Baltimore; and eight grandchildren.