Albert “Albie” Mallen Jr, 45

Albert “Albie” Mallen Jr, 45

 

Albert John Mallen Jr tragically left this world on Monday, June 26, 2017 at the age of 45. So many of you have at least one story about Al – or Albie. Most of you likely have dozens. The reason is quite simple, Al imposed his will upon any situation he found himself in, and typically earned success. He was routinely the most charismatic person in any room he entered, and would not allow himself to be forgotten. He was funny, and made people laugh until the muscles in their stomach strained. He eased the burden of many with his selflessness, generosity and unwavering willingness to ensure that everyone else around him was taken care of first. He could be infuriating, and made people scream in frustration because he would not back down from defending his point of view – even if he adopted that point of view seconds earlier just to be an antagonist. He had a knack for bringing people to tears with his insight, intellect and ability to cut to the heart of any matter with his candor. He was fiercely loyal, an unflinching competitor, and his heart was enormous. South Jersey and the rest of the world feels hollower without his presence, and we are all a little less safe and secure without him watching out for us. In his youth, he was an athletic prodigy in multiple sports rewriting record books and collecting trophies. After the line-of-duty death of his father, New Jersey State Police Detective Albert John Mallen, Sr., in the summer of 1985, Al continued his exploits on the field at Holy Spirit High School. His distinct swagger and moxie on the field as a quarterback and pitcher carried over into other areas of his life. After spending some time at Rutgers University, Al found his calling when he joined the Atlantic City Fire Department, which he has served proudly for 20 years. Firefighter Mallen was never one to rest, and he has also been a longtime employee of Marrone Irrigation. Other firefighters are quick to label Al as one of their very best, and his co-workers at Marrone reference him as perhaps their hardest-working employee. Whether it was on a field, on the job, or at a gathering of friends, Al was relentless and challenged himself and those around him to be at their absolute best. All this pales in comparison to how seriously he took the role of being a father. Al is survived by his sons, Ryan and Gavin, and their mother, Merri. His boys were his life, and he sacrificed everything to spend time with them. He coached his sons on the baseball and football field, and attempted to instill his values on the other children on their teams. He is survived by his mother and stepfather, Peggy and Walt, sister, Jennifer, brother and sister-in-law, Michael and Emily, their son, Hugo, and stepsiblings, Willow and Walter. He is survived by a legion of family, friends and colleagues that will never forget him. We will forever be talking about Albie, and it will always be heartbreaking that he is not here to talk over us!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get Involved!

Sign up now to receive updates on the LCpl Janos V Lutz Live To Tell Foundation!!

Success, You're signed up!

You are already on your way to showing your support of our Warfighters!