Gary Gemme

Gary Gemme, 71, passed away on August 6th after a second battle with cancer; he had previously defeated Leukemia in 2019. Gary was lovingly surrounded by his family with "I've Got A Name" by Jim Croce playing in the background.

Gary grew up in the Grafton Hill neighborhood of Worcester, often with his friends at Holmes Field. He later attended Holy Name and then North High where he met and fell in love with Donna Bechard, whom he grew the Gemme family with over fifty years of marriage.

Gary and Donna cherished their five decades of marriage. They loved dining out in Worcester and hosting large family dinners and holidays at their home on Crestlan Drive. They traveled often, and loved domestic and international travel alike. Some of their favorite memories were their trips to Italy and New Zealand, as well as Hawaii and the Grand Canyon. In recent years they golfed together at least once a week, the true proof of their love for one another.

Gary was dedicated to his education, earning a B.A. in History from Worcester State College, an M.B.A. from Nichols College, and a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice from Anna Maria College. He also graduated from the FBI National Academy in 1994 and completed several Leadership courses at Harvard.  He was equally dedicated to his country serving in the Navy as a Seabee from 1972-1978.

Gary served the Worcester Police Department for 33 years in various roles, many alongside his brother Alan. He was inducted into the Boys and Girls of Worcester Hall of Fame in 2009 and received the Patriotic Award in 2012. Gary was promoted to Chief of Police in 2004, a position he held for the final 12 years of his career until he retired in 2016.

Known for his hilarious stories and emphatic hand-gestures, in retirement Gary took to writing, composing his first novel entirely on an iPad. "Margaret's Dove" won first place in the Mill City Press Author Awards and a Silver Medal in the IBPA Ben Franklin Awards in 2018. He went on to write a second novel as well as a book of poetry.

Gary was a lover of nature and sports, reading and word games, but his most cherished role was Grumpy. He loved spending time with, and spoiling equally, each of his 8 grandchildren. Gary was also a tremendous friend, and appreciated grabbing a coffee, golfing, and talking politics with so many of his closest companions.

Gary leaves behind his wife of fifty years, Donna as well as his three children, Michael Gemme (Meghan), Jessica Cipro (Angelo), and Matthew Gemme (Tracy) and his eight grandchildren, Gianna, Natalia, Everly, Luciana, Juliet, Angelo Joseph, Marshall, and Camille. He also leaves behind his sister Mary, as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews, and in-laws, all of whom came to support Gary and his family in his final days. He was predeceased by his mother Rita ('94), his father Wilfred "Pete" ('12), and his brother Alan ('14). 

The family would like to thank Dr. Bob Maloney for Gary’s medical care over the last 45 years as his Primary Care Physician. The Gemmes would also like to thank UMass Memorial Medical Center for his care over the last several years, specifically the Bone Marrow Transplant Team and the Neuro-Oncology Clinic Staff.

Finally, a very special thank you goes out to Laura’s Guardian Angels for their care and support of Gary on his final journey.  

Per Gary’s wishes, funeral services were held privately. The MERCADANTE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL, 370 Plantation St is honored to assist the family once more. In lieu of flowers, the Gemme family asks that we all take our loved ones out to dinner sometime soon. We recommend Italian.