Jack McGreevey, 93, 'wanted people to have better lives' his son, former NJ gov says

CARTERET - Jack McGreevey is being remembered by his son, the former governor of New Jersey, as a proud U.S. Marine Corps veteran who worked hard, loved to laugh and tell stories and be of service to others, especially fellow veterans.

It's the outpouring of those stories about his father, being told by others, that now offer some comfort and healing to former Gov. Jim McGreevey and his family just days after Jack McGreevey's death at age 93.

"He was special. He was literally among the last of a generation who served our nation and loved their community and raised their children," said McGreevey, adding the comments he has read about his father have been so special to him and his two sisters.

Jack McGreevey's death was announced Thursday by the 19th District legislative office where he had worked for more than 20 years helping fellow veterans. Flags in his hometown of Carteret have been lowered to half-staff in his honor.

A wake for Jack McGreevey will be held 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday, May 17 at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, 7 Locust St., Carteret. The funeral Mass, celebrating Jack McGreevey's life, will be held 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 18 at the church. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Chubenko Funeral Homes in Woodbridge.

"Jack McGreevey so perfectly represented the selflessness of all who wear our nation’s uniforms — he put our nation above all and his fellow New Jerseyans before himself," Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday in a Facebook post.

“Jack once said, ‘Being a Marine was the best thing I ever did, I had the honor to serve.’ Jack’s official military record may show five years of service, but we all know he served proudly and humbly for decades. He spent every day honoring the New Jerseyans who served our nation, as a respected voice for veterans and as the veterans’ liaison for Sen. Joe Vitale, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez. We were honored to host him at Drumthwacket for the Marine Corps birthday celebrations he helped organize," Murphy said in a statement.

Earlier: Jack McGreevey, father of former NJ governor and veterans advocate, has died

McGreevey said his father, who had a great sense of humor, had the ability to connect with others and share his love of life.

"He just relished life. He had a great sense of humor and he would find the humor and joy literally in every minute of life," he said.

McGreevey, a former Woodbridge mayor, said his father also loved working.

He recalls the Veterans Day holiday his father showed up for work at the legislative office. His father arrived for work on time in his shirt and tie, turned the key to enter the building and the office alarm went off.

He said Vitale called and asked Jack McGreevey what he was doing. McGreevey said his father responded, 'I'm coming to work,' and Vitale reminded him Veterans Day is a work holiday.

"And my father says, 'I'm a veteran, I'm at work,'" said McGreevey, adding his father didn't know how to turn off the alarm system so he just went upstairs to work.

"For him that's what you do, work is good for the soul," McGreevey said. "He was driven. He and my mom were driven to service, to making life better, understanding that the gift of service was for both of them their greatest legacy."

McGreevey's mother, Veronica "Ronnie" McGreevey, a nursing advocate, died in 2018. She and Jack McGreevey met at Seton Hall University.

"Both he and my mom were an extraordinary blessing," McGreevey said. "They had a great partnership, 62 years."

Jack McGreevey and his wife where longtime residents of Carteret.

McGreevey said his father was fond of Carteret Mayor Dan Reiman and Reiman made his father chair of a veterans committee.

McGreevey remembers his father complained that a sign with Reiman's name wasn't large enough.

"But dad never asked for a bigger sign for me," McGreevey joked. "It was all good and all decent, and it was about getting things done. It wasn't about speeches, it wasn't about words, it was about making people's lives better in real tangible ways."

He said his father would give the shirt off his back to help others.

McGreevey said fellow Marines were particularly special to his father.

"They were closest to God. It was like a band of brothers for that generation," McGreevey said.

He said his father worked to make sure veterans had access to the prescription drugs they needed, got help for any service related illness, helped wives get their husbands into a veterans home or buried at veterans cemetery.

"It was concrete, measurable ways to improve the quality of people's lives. He just wanted people to have better lives and to make government work in a practical sense," said McGreevey adding his father was a straight shooter who didn't see the sense in some lengthy government forms, and would say so.

McGreevey said his father was chairman of New Jersey World War II Memorial Commission, which in 2008 during Gov. Jon S. Corzine's administration, unveiled a monument across from the Statehouse.

Jack McGreevey's experience in the military carried over to a ritual at home where his children had to make their bed in a military style.

"When we were little he would flip the dime to see whether the dime bounced or not, and if the bed sheets were taut enough," said McGreevey, who remembers the standard being a little more relaxed for his sisters.

Email: srussell@gannettnj.com

Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Jack McGreevey remembered, offering comfort and healing to family