Obituary of Ret. Fire Chief Gary S. Desjadon

Gary S. Desjadon, 66, passed away peacefully on June 6, 2025, at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, after a long and heroic battle with cancer, surrounded by his loving family. Born on July 24, 1958, to the late Roger and Mary (Matteo) Desjadon, Gary was raised in Morristown and resided in Morris County his entire life, where he met the love of his life, raised his son, and served the community in countless ways.  

Gary married his best friend, Elaine Gesicki, in 1991. The duo became a trio with the birth of Gary and Elaine’s son Brian in 1996, and together, the trio enjoyed many travels and adventures, making treasured and lasting friendships along the way. A true family man and public servant, Gary dedicated his life not only to his family, but to his larger community in  numerous ways, including coaching basketball at Bayley-Ellard High School in Madison or St. Joseph’s School in Mendham;  playing the tenor drum in the Hudson County Fire and Police Pipe Band in any number of parades; or as an active member of the Knights of Columbus.  Gary devoted his career to civil service, most notably with the Morristown Fire Department, where he first volunteered in 1979 and later was hired as a full-time firefighter in 1985, fulfilling his childhood dream. During his career, he served as President of FMBA Locals 43 and 243 and rose through the ranks of the Department, eventually becoming Chief in 2008, until his retirement in 2011. Even after his retirement, he continued to be active in the Deputy Fire Chiefs’ Association, the New Jersey Career Fire Chiefs’ Association, FMBA Local 500, the Morristown Exempt Firemen’s Association, the Morris County Emerald Society, the Board of Fire Wardens, and was a Life Member of the New Jersey State FMBA and the New Jersey Firemen’s Association.

Among Gary’s happiest memories were the family’s annual pilgrimages to Walt Disney World, where often he could be found poolside, doling out stories mixed with some advice, some wisdom, and some humor, and always with his characteristic generosity. During summers, he shared his wit and wisdom with family and friends at the family’s home in Ortley Beach, where he usually was found holding court while grilling in the backyard. After his first lengthy hospitalization, Gary was determined to get back to Disney World and his beloved Jersey shore, and worked hard at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation to get there, where he was the proud recipient of the 2024 Kessler Triumph of Human Spirit Award.  He also was an avid lover of sports and was a particularly devoted fan of the New York Mets and the University of North Carolina Tar Heels basketball team.

To know Gary was to be helped by Gary, and his presence will be dearly missed by so many. He is survived by his wife and best friend, Elaine Gesicki-Desjadon;  their beloved son, Brian; his sister, Valerie Guilmette and her husband Patrick; his brother, Roger and his wife Susan; his sister-in-law Mary Sullivan; his brother-in-law Donald Gesicki and his wife Diane McKernan; and his many nieces, nephews, and cousins, as well as the many others who called him “Uncle Gary” or considered him family beyond their own.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at Dangler Funeral Home in Morris Plains from 4:00 pm through 8:00 pm. (*A steady flow throughout the Funeral Home will ensure every guest can give their condolences to the family.) A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, June 12, 2025, at St. Margaret Roman Catholic Church at 10:00 am. Interment to follow at Holy Rood Cemetery in Morristown.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in his memory be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital (www.stjude.org), or the Tunnel to Towers Foundation (www.t2t.org).