Former Worcester Police Chief Gary Gemme, a 33-year veteran of the department, has died, the Worcester Police Department said Thursday.
Gemme died on Wednesday at his home in Shrewsbury, the Telegram & Gazette reported. He was 71.
He was a U.S. Navy veteran and graduated from the FBI National Academy before he joined the police department and served for 33 years, police said in a statement. He rose through the ranks, being promoted to sergeant in 1990, lieutenant in 1993, captain in 1995 and deputy chief in 2000.
Gemme became chief of police in 2004 and served until 2016, becoming Worcester’s longest-serving chief since World War II, the department stated.
“Gary Gemme was a dedicated public servant who committed his life to the city of Worcester and its citizens,” Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier said in a statement. “His contributions will never be forgotten.”
Former Chief Steve Sargent was named as Gemme’s replacement after Gemme retired at 62. Sargent retired and was succeeded by Saucier.
When Gemme retired, former City Manager Ed Augustus said he was a “man of honor and integrity.”
“His intelligence, integrity, and leadership have served this city very well,” Augustus added.
“In his time as the head of our police force he has overseen tremendous advancements in technology and crime analytics, making Worcester one of the safest of all cities in Massachusetts,” said Mayor Joseph Petty previously said. “His lifelong commitment to our City was exemplified by his belief in community policing and his dedication to relationship building between his department and our neighbors.”
From retirement, Gemme became an author and released his own book in 2018, ”Margaret’s Dove: A Novel,” a love story set on Cape Cod.
“This is something I’ve wanted to do for a really long time,” Gemme told MassLive at the time.
Gemme was later diagnosed with leukemia before he received a bone marrow transplant from his youngest son, Matthew, on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day, 2020.
“I got a tremendous gift. I got the gift of life from my son on Valentine’s Day,” Gemme told MassLive. “It’s emotional for me, there is really a bond there.”
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