My heartfelt condolences to Lisa and the Willever family. Todd’s courageous fight against GBM and his willingness to pursue innovative treatments helped bring hope to many others. Wishing his family strength and peace during this difficult time.
Longtime N.J. city firefighter succumbs to cancer after 4-year battle.
• Updated: Mar. 11, 2026, 10:54 p.m. • |Published: Mar. 11, 2026, 5:58 p.m.
By Kevin Shea | NJ.com
Todd Willever was diagnosed in 2022 with a devastating brain cancer that doctors estimated would give him 10 to 15 months to live.
The longtime Trenton firefighter battled it for 46 months before succumbing early Monday. He was 55 years old.
The cancer — glioblastoma multiforme or GBM — led to his retirement from the department in 2023 as a deputy chief after nearly 30 years, so he could shift from saving others to saving himself.
He fought it like he lived life, “fearless and with grit and determination,” his wife Lisa Funari Willever wrote in his obituary.
Willever sought treatment in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, where he and his wife drove cross-country in the summer of 2024 for a three-month immunotherapy clinical trial at UCLA with renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Linda Liau.
The treatments allowed him to see his son Patrick get married, son Tim kick for The College of New Jersey football team and then dance with his daughter, Jessica, at her wedding.
Willever was well-known in the city for efforts beyond responding to fires, including the Capital City Community Coalition and the Old Barracks Museum, as well as the Firemen’s Mutual Benevolent Association union.
He often was with his wife, a former Trenton city schoolteacher who has written several children’s books, including the Nicky Fifth series, as they carried stacks of books to reading events in the capital city. The series led to the Nicky Fifth Foundation, which Lisa ran and for which Todd volunteered.
Lisa chronicled her husband’s cancer battle with a website, Willever Strong. When he died, Todd had undergone three brain surgeries, 66 doses of chemotherapy, 40 rounds of radiation, three doses of the DCVax-L treatment and the couple traveled 6,500 miles round trip, living in California for four months.
Todd Willever started his career in the fire service as an airport firefighter at Trenton-Mercer Airport before joining the Trenton Fire Department in 1994. He worked for many years as a captain at Engine Co. 3 on South Broad Street, which were some of his fondest memories, his wife wrote in the obituary. “He enjoyed training his crew, working in the community, and the occasional prank".
For many years, he served with his brother, Cliff Willever, who retired in 2020, also as a deputy chief.
“Throughout his career he demonstrated unwavering commitment, leadership, and pride in the fire service. His contributions to the department and the community he served will never be forgotten,” the department said in announcing his passing.
Trenton At-large Councilwoman Yazminelly Gonzalez was among the many people in the greater Trenton area who posted remembrances of Willever. The Willever’s collaborated on a book event with her in honor of her father, the late South Trenton activist Juan Martinez.
“Your strength, your story, and your impact will never be forgotten. Rest peacefully,” Gonzalez wrote.
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