Daniel J. Raftery

Daniel Raftery of Hartsdale, New York and Williamsburg, Virginia passed away peacefully with his family by his side at Calvary Hospital in the Bronx on June 16, 2024 after a two-year battle with a 9/11-related cancer. He was born to the late William and Mary (Sullivan) Raftery in New Rochelle, New York on June 3, 1950. Dan was raised “Up the West” and graduated from St. Gabriel’s Elementary School and Blessed Sacrament High School in New Rochelle. He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Iona College in 1972 and a bachelor’s degree in fire science from Mercy College in 1987.

In 1973 Dan was hired as a Firefighter with the Greenville Fire District in Greenburgh, New York. He was promoted to Deputy Chief in 1985 and Chief of the Department in 1986. Dan received numerous lifesaving awards and unit citations during his distinguished career. On September 11, 2001 Dan led his men down to the World Trade Center where they spent several days assisting with the search for missing civilians and first responders. In the years following 9/11, Dan helped lead the charge to train hundreds of firefighters throughout Westchester County to respond to technical rescue and hazardous materials/WMD events. Chief Dan made it his mission to ensure that all his men went home safe to their families at the end of every shift. He retired in 2020 after 47 years of service to the Greenville Fire Department.

When not fighting fires, Dan loved to spend time with his family. While at Iona College, he met his soul mate of 49 years, Ann Marie “Nancy” DeLigio, whom he married on September 29, 1974 at Holy Rosary Church in the Bronx. Together they had two sons, Patrick and Brian.

An avid buff of American, Irish, and firefighting history, Dan enjoyed visiting museums and touring Revolutionary and Civil War battlefields up and down the East Coast. A car buff and racing fan, he attended 16 Daytona 500s. Dan learned the game of golf while working as a caddie at Quaker Ridge Golf Club, and captained his high school and college golf teams. He found peace hitting a bucket of golf balls at the driving range, detailing his pickup truck, and hanging out with friends at the Irish Bank in Hartsdale and Cogan’s in Williamsburg.

Dan was a devout Roman Catholic. He was a regular at the 8:00 am Sunday mass at Sacred Heart Church in Hartsdale and the 8:30 am Sunday mass at St. Bede’s Church in Williamsburg. Dan managed the Sacred Heart School baseball team and served on the board of directors of Elmsford Little League, where he coached numerous teams. Several of his former players have gone on to become First Responders, and some have even fought fires alongside him.

Dan leaves behind his wife of 49 years, Nancy; his two sons, Patrick and Brian; his brother, William Raftery, and sister-in-law Janet Raftery; brother-in-law, Frank DeLigio and sister-in-law Renée DeLigio; niece, Karen (Ryan) Psimas; two nephews, William (Melissa) Raftery and Kevin (Meghan) Raftery; six great-nieces and great-nephews, and countless brother firefighters.

A wake will be held on Thursday, June 20, from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Edwin L. Bennett Funeral Home, 824 Scarsdale Avenue, Scarsdale. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 9:30 AM on Friday, June 21, at Sacred Heart Church, 10 Lawton Avenue, Hartsdale. Interment will follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Dan’s memory to Calvary Hospital.