BPD Remembers: The men and women of the Boston Police Department remember the service and sacrifice of Officer Robert A. Maher who died in the line of duty on April 10, 1946, after responding to a building fire in the Back Bay. Officer Maher was the first person to arrive on scene and rushed into the apartment building to wake residents. He became trapped on the third floor, suffering severe burns and ultimately jumped from the building, resulting in fatal injuries.
More than 100 potential victims survived the fire and Officer Maher is credited with saving most of them. Officer Maher had served with the BPD for 18 years and was laid to rest at Oak Grove Cemetery in Medford. Officer Maher was survived by his wife, three children, three sisters, and three brothers. He was also a U.S. Navy Veteran of WWI.
Following careful research in 2021, Officer Maher’s name has been added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington D.C. and located at 55-W: 32. His name is forever engraved at the Boston Police Memorial at Boston Police Headquarters and the Law Enforcement Memorial at the Massachusetts State House.