Eugene A. Gorgia Jr.

Army veteran, decorated NYPD Officer, devoted husband and father

Retired NYPD police officer and US Army veteran Eugene Gorgia, Jr., 79, passed away peacefully on Oct. 19 at his home in Staten Island, with his brokenhearted family at his bedside.

Born in 1946 to the late Eugene and May (nee Heiser) Gorgia in Brooklyn, Eugene moved with his family to Pleasant Plains in 1957, residing there until his marriage in 1970 to the late Marie LoGiudice. After living in Silver Lake as newlyweds, the couple settled in Grasmere in 1975, where he lived until his passing. Eugene became a widower in 2000 after his wife’s premature death at age 55 and lost his daughter Jennifer at age 35.

After graduating from Tottenville High School in 1964, Eugene was drafted into the US Army. During the Vietnam War, Eugene was stationed in the Panama Canal Zone from 1966 to 1968.

After his honorable discharge from the Army, Eugene became a proud member of the NYPD in 1968, serving in the 120th Precinct in Staten Island, followed by a short stint at the 9th Precinct in Manhattan before his transfer to the 122nd Precinct in Staten Island, where he spent the remainder of his career. In all, he spent 21 years as one of New York’s Finest, receiving several letters of recognition from the grateful citizens he assisted and department commendations.

A passionate admirer of trains, Eugene enjoyed traveling by train and dedicated much of his spare time, when not with his family, to his avid model train hobby. His 200 square-foot plus HO scale basement layout was a testament to care and detail, with multiple tracks, remote-controlled switches, round tables, buildings, landscaping, and other features too numerous to count, all built to meticulous scale. His layout, along with others, was featured in a May 1977 Staten Island Advance article about Islanders immersed in the hobby. Eugene also collected model trains, particularly vintage mid-20th-century Lionel sets. He was a long-time member of the Igglemeisters, a group of dedicated model railroaders who meet weekly to work on each other’s layouts.

Eugene was also an ardent World War II aficionado, rarely missing the chance to watch the latest documentary, series like Band of Brothers or The Pacific, or classic movies, like Patton, Midway, or The Battle of the Bulge.

Eugene also enjoyed spending weekends, vacations, and retirement time with his family and friends at a second home in Upstate New York, just outside the Adirondack State Park. There, he thrived on living the simple life, hunting, attending county fairs, and breathing the fresh mountain air.

Eugene is survived by his devoted son, retired FDNY Firefighter Joseph Gorgia (Katie); loving sister Maureen Parato of Whiting, NJ; brother-in-law Joseph LoGiudice (Kathleen nee O’Brien) of Holmdel, NJ; grandchildren Ciera, Nikolas, and Joshua; and many adoring nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife, Marie (nee LoGiudice, 2000); daughter, Jennifer (2021); and parents, Eugene Sr. (1996) and May (nee Heiser, 2009) Gorgia.

Visitation will be on Wednesday, Oct. 22 from 2:00 to 4:00 and 7:00 to 9:00 PM at Casey McCallum Rice South Shore Funeral Home, 30 Nelson Ave., Staten Island. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 AM on Thursday, Oct. 23 at Holy Rosary RC Church, 80 Jerome Ave., Staten Island, followed by interment at Ocean View Cemetery, Oakwood.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Cure PSP, Unlocking the Secrets of Brain Disease.