Commack Street Renamed After Local Hero

COMMACK, NY - Local officials, firefighters, friends and family gathered recently to honor a fallen FDNY lieutenant from Commack in a street dedication.

During the ceremony, held on June 29, Town of Huntington Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci and Councilman Mark Cuthbertson were joined by officials from the Town, State, County, FDNY, Commack Fire Department, the New York City Fire Museum, and more to dedicate Calvert Avenue as FDNY Lt. Walter F. Malone Way.

Malone, a retired first responded and veteran, died in 2017 after a long with respiratory illness from his time serving at Ground Zero in the months after 9/11.

The ceremony was put together thanks to Malone's grandson, who reached out to Lupinacci last September 11 to ask about honoring his grandfather.

"Clearly Walter was someone who would step out of his comfort zone for others, and he demonstrated that when he went to the grounds of 9/11," Cuthbertson said. "We recognize him, but we also recognize that the fight isn’t done for 9-11 victims."

Officials were also joined by Receiver of Taxes Jillian Guthman; Deputy Town Clerk Stacy Colamussi, representing Town Clerk Jo-Ann Raia; Stephen Jimenez, representing Highway Superintendent Kevin S. Orelli; Senator James Gaughran; Assemblymen Andrew Raia and Steve Stern; County Comptroller John Kennedy; County Legislators Susan Berland and Leslie Kennedy; John Feal of the FealGood Foundation, Captain Mark Guerra and Malone's service brothers from FDNY Engine 214 and FDNY Rescue 2; retired FDNY friends from his Brooklyn breakfast group; Chief of Department Bobby Wilkins, John Minton and members of the Commack Fire Department; and Gary Urbanowicz of the New York City Fire Museum.

Malone's family were also present for the ceremony including his children, Michael, Colleen and Mary; his ten grandchildren, including Sean Malone, who initiated the street dedication; and his 8 great-grandchildren.

Deacon Lou from Christ the King Church in Commack delivered the invocation and blessing of the street sign.

The street dedication, with fire trucks from the Commack Fire Department on-site, was held at the corner of Calvert Avenue and Sheldon Place in Commack, where the Malone family home is located.

Before joining the FDNY, Malone served as a Corporal in the United States Army serving from 1952 to 1956 during the Korean War.

He began his firefighting career in 1960 when he joined FDNY Rescue Company 2 in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, promoted to Lieutenant in 1978 with Engine Company 214. He served for 34 years with the Department, retiring at the age of 57 in 1991.

After his retirement, Walter traveled from his home in Commack every Wednesday to serve as a docent at the Fire Museum in Manhattan from 2002 until his health took a turn for the worse. "Wally Wednesdays" became legendary. People from all over the world kept in touch with Wally through the Museum.

On September 11th, 2001, Lieutenant Walter Malone came out of his 10-year retirement to help his longtime friend Captain John Vigiano, also a member of FDNY. Vigiano lost two sons that day.

At the age of 67, Malone returned to his fire department family out love for his dear friend and his dedication to service and to community. Every day for two months, Malone searched for Vigiano’s lost sons, fallen brethren and civilian casualties of the 9/11 World Trade Center Attacks.

In September 2017, just weeks after Wally's passing, Scottish artist Alexander Millar offered to create a special New York fire-themed series of paintings to raise money for the Museum. The artist’s portrait of Lt. Malone hangs prominently at the Museum today.

All photos/video courtesy of the Town of Huntington