The contractor who renovated the Connecticut home that burned in a tragic Christmas Day fire that killed five people has died.
Michael D. Borcina, 58, died ‘suddenly’ on October 3, according to a Long Island Funeral Home. He is survived by his brothers Mitch and Mathew.
He and his then-girlfriend, former advertising executive Madonna Badger, managed to escape the fire that consumed her $1.7million home in Shippan, an affluent waterfront neighborhood of Stamford, Connecticut, on Christmas Day 2011.
But Badger’s three children: 9-year-old Lily Badger and 7-year-old twins Sarah and Grace, and their maternal grandparents, Lome and Pauline Johnson, all died.
Michael D Borcina, right, died ‘suddenly’ at the age of 58 on October 3. One source reported he died of cancer. He is pictured with his then-girlfriend Madonna Badger at the funeral for her three children on January 5, 2012
Borcina was a contractor who was renovating Badger’s $1.7million Stamford, Connecticut home when it caught fire on Christmas Day in 2011. Badger’s three daughters: 9-year-old Lily Badger and 7-year-old twins Sarah and Grace, all died. Her parents, Lome and Pauline Johnson, also died. She and Borcina survived. Pictured is the damage to the waterfront home
The three girls are pictured with their father, Mattew Badger, who filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Borcina and the city of Stamford. The suit against Borcina was settled in 2014 for $5million. The suit against Stamford was settled in 2017 for $6.6million
A cause of death for Borcina was not listed, but the Hartford Courant reported that he died of cancer.
Borcina had moved to New Jersey after the fire and had volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, helping to rebuild homes devastated by Hurricane Sandy, his attorney, Robert Laney, said.
Laney told the Connecticut Post: ‘The fire had a dramatic impact on him. He loved those little girls. I’m not sure he ever recovered from it.’
Memorial services will be held for Borcina this week.
Matthew Badger, the ex-husband of Madonna and the father of the three girls, died earlier this year.
Matthew Badger (pictured with his ex-wife and their three children) died in February 2017. He was a television commercial director
The three girls are pictured sitting on a bench. Their maternal grandparents, Pauline and Lomer Johnson, are pictured standing. All five died in the fire
Matthew and Madonna are pictured at the funeral for their children. The funeral took place in New York City on January 5, 2012
Matthew Badger, Madonna Badger and Michael Borcina are pictured receiving a greeting from a priest as they arrive for the funeral service for the Badger girls. The funeral took place at St Thomas Episcopal Church
The news of his death was revealed in February by the charity Badger set up to honor his little girls.
His ex-wife Madonna Badger had said in a statement: ‘He was a wonderful man with a generous heart. He was an amazing Dad to his girls, Lily, Sarah and Grace. His death was sudden and peaceful.’
Badger was living in a two bedroom rental in New York’s Battery Park City before he died. He was believed to be in a relationship with Abby Ballin who he co-founded the LilySarahGrace Fund charity with in April 2012.
Badger was in New York when the fire broke out in 2011 at his ex-wife’s home in Stamford, Connecticut where his daughters were spending Christmas Day.
The couple’s three daughters and Madonna’s parents all perished in the horrific blaze. Madonna and Borcina both survived.
Pictured in the red shirt is Borcina, who moved to New Jersey after the fire and worked with Habitat for Humanity
Authorities said embers in a bag of discarded fireplace ashes started the blaze. They had been discarded by Borcina because the girls were worried Santa would not be able to get down the chimney.
Firefighters arrived on the scene just six minutes after neighbors reported the fire, but they were unable to save those trapped.
Nick Tamburro, a Stamford firefighter, pays respects outside the Shippan home on December 27
Two of the girls were found on the second floor; their other sister died just feet from escaping through a window.
No criminal charges were filed as a result of the deaths.
Fire and city officials said at the time of the fire that the house should not have been occupied and the fire alarms weren’t activated.
Badger later filed a wrongful death against the city and Borcina – who was the contractor renovating the home – claiming the house had become a fire trap.
Borcina and his company settled the lawsuit in 2014 for $5million. The lawsuit against the city of Stamford was settled in 2017 for $6.6million, the Hartford Courant notes.
Unable to return to his job as television commercial director following the fire, Badger created the charity in the girls’ memories with Ballin. She was with Badger the morning he found out his girls had died.
Madonna Badger and Michael Borcina stopped dating after the fire.
In 2014, she married real estate broker William Duke.