TOBAY Beach Lifeguard Honored For 50 Years Of Service

MASSAPEQUA, NY – A local resident was recently honored for 50 years of service as a TOBAY Beach lifeguard.

John McGovern, started as a Seasonal Lifeguard in 1967, was recognized by Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino and other officials during a recent ceremony.

“John has dedicated the last five decades of his life to protecting the lives of swimmers and beach enthusiasts at TOBAY Beach and we are very proud to celebrate this incredible milestone,” Saladino said. “His love for the job and his dedication to service are typical of the men and women who so ably serve as Town of Oyster Bay Lifeguards.”

As a physical education teacher working in the Massapequa school district, McGovern felt lifeguarding was the perfect summer job.

Initially he provided swim lessons at Florence Avenue Beach in the morning and then traveled to Tobay Beach to work as a lifeguard on the bayside in the afternoon.

By 1975, McGovern was a Senior Lieutenant at the ocean, joined by his wife Donna, who was a staff lifeguard.

Through many years of hard work, and dedication to the beach, he became Assistant Captain in 1990 and was later joined by his son Kim, and his daughter Stacey, who were also ocean guards.

As of the summer of 2013, McGovern became the Captain of the TOBAY Lifeguards. With his leadership, the TOBAY lifeguard corps is second to none and remains the best trained, most loyal, and most dedicated corps on the east coast.

“John established a legacy of excellence that makes him a role model for every lifeguard to follow in his footsteps thereafter,” Saladino said. “Every day he watches over the sands and beaches of TOBAY, he exemplifies and upholds the finest traditions associated with ocean lifeguarding. He represents the best of the best and we thank him for his dedicated service to residents of the Town of Oyster Bay.”

Photos courtesy of Town of Oyster Bay