By Scott R. Axelrod
Staten Island Advance
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Michael W. Daly of Great Kills, a retired firefighter, died in his home Sat., Nov. 25, following a long battle with a 9/11-related illness. A family obituary said he was surrounded by his family in his final moments. He was 56.
His death was announced by the United Firefighters Association, who wrote “FF Daly served our great department for 9 years.”
Daly was born in Brooklyn, according to the family obituary. He joined the FDNY in 1999 and was eventually assigned to Ladder 87 in Annadale. He retired from the department in 2008.
After surviving and helping to save others during rescue efforts following the terrorist attacks, Daly would go on to battle for his life when he was diagnosed with two different types of cancer, the Advance/SILive.com reported in 2015.
Despite his illness, Daly was not only active in charitable causes, but he cared deeply about the safety of his community.
In 2010, while with his children at Great Kills Park, after discovering a dirty syringe in the sandbox, Daly had a back-and-forth with the Department of Parks and Recreation who eventually sent workers to search and clean the park.
In 2013 the Daly family was profiled by the Staten Island Advance/SILive.com when their newborn son Logan was born at only 29-weeks-old. That year the Dalys served as the ambassador family for March of Dimes’ 41st annual March for Babies to help save premature babies.
In 2015, Daly was the keynote speaker at the Celebration of Hope Gal to benefit the American Cancer Society, while wife Jessica severed as chairwoman.
Daly is survived by his wife Jessica; children Mason, Madison and Logan; sister Kerry Malvino, his mother and father-in-law Yvette and Robert Vazquez; sister-in-law Veronica Mora; and nieces and nephews Ravyn, Joey, Edgar, Olivia and Sophia.
This past September the FDNY added 43 names to the World Trade Center Memorial Wall for deaths related to illnesses from the terror attacks on Sept. 11, including eight members of the department who either lived on Staten Island, formerly lived on the Island or were assigned to work here.
This addition was the second largest group of names to be added to the World Trade Center Memorial Wall since it was created in 2011 with 55 names.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 4 at St. Clare Church located at 110 Nelson Ave. Interment will be in Ocean View Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5 — 9 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2 , and on Sunday, Dec. 3, from 2 — 4 p.m. and 7 — 9 p.m. at John Vincent Scalia Home for Funerals, Inc., 28 Eltingville Blvd.
It is with deep regret the UFA announces the passing of FF Michael W. Daly, Ladder Company 87, who succumbed to his WTC illness on Saturday, November 25th, 2023. FF Daly served our great department for 9 years. pic.twitter.com/EZT0aUIPlK
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