Brief: Firefighter Maglione Passes Away After Cancer Battle

Westfield Firefighter Danny Maglione passed away Tuesday following a 15-month battle with cancer. He was 41 years old.

Maglione, who was a Westfield firefighter for over 11 years, was diagnosed in late 2009 with unknown primary cancer, a rare cancer faced by two to four percent of all cancer patients. Maglione, a married father of two daughters, ages 14 and 12, had been waging an aggressive battle, including traveling to Tennessee to seek treatment.

In March 2010, the FMBA sponsored a well attended fundraiser at Temple Emanu-El to raise funds for Maglione's treatment.

Maglione, a Wall Township resident, has long been an active member of the Westfield community. Prior to joining the fire department, he served for two years as a police dispatcher in town, along with serving as an auxiliary police officer and as a member of the Rescue Squad. He volunteered as a coach for the Piscataway High School football team and coached his daughters' soccer and softball teams.

This is the second death of a Westfield firefighter in less than a year. In August, Firefighter Jim Pfeiffer died after a freak accident at his Mountainside home.