'Hometown hero': 48-year-old Middleboro Police lieutenant loses battle with cancer

MIDDLEBORO — Lt. Angelo AJ Lapanna III, a 22-year veteran of the Middleboro Police Department and beloved father of three, lost a two-year battle with head and neck cancer, the department announced Sunday. He was 48.

“Lt. Lapanna dedicated more than 22 years to the department, serving and protecting the Middleboro community,” said Chief Joseph Perkins. “We thank him and his family for his dedication and sacrifice.”

Lapanna had just been promoted to lieutenant in August of this year. He joined the Middleboro Police Department in July of 2001 as a patrol officer and in 2019, he was promoted to sergeant.

In addition to serving the community of Middleboro, Lapanna served in the U.S. Army National Guard for 23 years, 10 with the Military Police and 13 with the Army Special Forces (Green Berets).

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He was awarded a Bronze Star after serving two combat tours in Afghanistan and one in Iraq.

In April of 2021, just two years after his promotion to sergeant, Lapanna was diagnosed with stage four metastatic head and neck cancer.

The announcement, posted on Facebook Sunday afternoon, has garnered hundreds of comments from the community, many of whom are calling Lapanna “Middleboro’s hero.”

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“What can you say when you lose your hometown hero. Very few people in life leave a lasting legacy of heroism,” commented Jason S. Craig. “We lost one of the good ones today.”

Lapanna is survived by his wife, Traci, and his three children. Information about a memorial service will be forthcoming.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Middleboro Police Lt. Angelo AJ Lapanna dies of cancer at 48