Kevin Boynton Meehan

On February 17, 1943, James and Catherine Meehan welcomed their second son, Kevin Boynton Meehan, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Growing up in a household of eight children, Kevin quickly showed his devotion to family, education, and community.  He helped care for his younger brothers and sisters, rode along with the Cambridge Fire Department in his free time, achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, and graduated as Valedictorian from North Cambridge Catholic School.

Kevin went on to Boston College, where he earned a degree in Economics, followed by an MBA from Babson College. He spent 20 years serving in four different federal government agencies before ultimately turning to his true calling: Fire/Rescue and EMS.  

Kevin devoted more than 50 years to the fire service, including 37 years with the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Reserve Battalion, where he rose to the rank of Battalion Chief. He also worked as a paramedic for many private ambulance services in South Florida, retiring from American Medical Response at age 80. At both PBCFR and AMR, Kevin not only responded to emergencies but also dedicated himself to teaching and mentoring hundreds of Fire and EMS professionals.

His passion for helping others seemed limitless. While balancing work, family, and volunteering, he still found time to donate over 70 gallons of blood - every two weeks for platelets and every eight weeks for whole blood - until he started his pancreatic cancer treatments. His volunteer work also included supporting the Miami community after Hurricane Andrew, delivering food to migrant communities in West Delray, and spending countless Saturdays installing smoke detectors in vulnerable homes.

Kevin’s sense of responsibility and compassion shone through in the way he cared for patients. He often went beyond simply completing the transport, taking extra care to ensure each patient’s home was safe and well-prepared for them to recover and thrive.  He transported many critical care patients as far as North Carolina and taught his trainees to “treat every patient like family.”

Those who knew Kevin also knew his quick wit and love of a good laugh. He was famous for his “dad jokes,” which he shared as freely as his wisdom - always able to lighten the mood, whether in the firehouse, in the cab of the ambulance, or at home.  Even during his cancer treatments, Kevin made a point to brighten the day of his doctors and nurses, taking time to make them laugh just as he had done for so many of his patients throughout his life.

What brought him the greatest joy was his family. Kevin and his wife, Barbara, shared more than 50 wonderful years together. He had six children and was a proud grandfather to 13  grandchildren. He never missed an opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments or tell a story that showed how proud he was of them.  

To honor Kevin’s lifelong dedication to service, his family plans to establish a scholarship fund to support young adults pursuing careers in Fire and EMS who could not otherwise afford the training and certification.

In the meantime, in lieu of flowers or gifts, Kevin asked that donations be made to nonprofit organizations close to his heart: 

The Chapel St Andrew

Special Love ..... for Children with Cancer

Pancreatic Cancer Action Network