Former North Bergen Township Commissioner Frank Gargiulo, also an ex-state assemblyman, died at 87 years old today, officials said.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Frank Gargiulo was truly one of a kind. For decades, I had the privilege of serving alongside a man whose dedication to education and public service was unmatched. Frank helped transform the lives of thousands of young people through his visionary leadership of the Hudson County Schools of Technology, while also devoting nearly four decades to the people of North Bergen,” Mayor Nick Sacco said in a statement.
“He was a trusted colleague, a respected leader, and a dear friend. His impact on our community and our county cannot be measured, and his legacy will live on through the countless lives he touched. On behalf of the Township of North Bergen, I extend my deepest condolences to the entire Gargiulo family and to all those who had the privilege of knowing him.”
Gargiulo served for 34 years as a North Bergen commissioner, between 1989 and 2023, before retiring, according to township spokesman Nick Bond.
He also served one term as state assemblyman between 1985 and 1987, a rare instance where a Republican from Hudson County was elected to the legislature.
The High Tech High School campus in Secaucus was named after him in a September 2018 ceremony while he was still the Hudson County Schools of Technology superintendent of schools, as HCV first reported.
A longtime education, Gargiulo joined the Hudson County Community College Board of Trustees in April 2022.
“As DPW commissioner, I am honored to continue the hard work and dedication to the department that Commissioner Gargiulo started and will continue all his accomplishments throughout my tenure,” noted Commissioner Anthony Vainieri.
“On behalf of the entire Department of Public Works, we offer our deepest sympathy and condolences to his family. May he rest in peace.”
Achieving the rank of lieutenant in the U.S. Army, Gargiulo was named North Bergen’s Veteran of the Year in 2022. He was also an alumnus of the University of Notre Dame, where he played football, and is a prior Hudson County GOP chair.
This evening, Hudson County Executive Craig Guy paid tribute to Gargiulo.
“I am deeply saddened by the passing of Frank J. Gargiulo. Frank was a true gentleman, an educator at heart, and someone who dedicated his life to serving the people of Hudson County and uplifting generations of students as an assemblyman, commissioner in North Bergen, and superintendent of schools for the Hudson County Schools of Technology,” Guy said in a statement.
“I had the privilege of serving on the board with him for more than a decade, and during that time I witnessed firsthand the passion and care he brought to education every single day. He loved his students and faculty deeply, knowing many of them by name. His leadership, vision, and dedication are why High Tech High School, the Frank J. Gargiulo Campus, bears his name and legacy.”
The visitation for Gargiulo will take place at the Vainieri Funeral Home, located at 5923 John F. Kennedy Blvd. in North Bergen, on Thursday between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., then again on Friday between 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
His funeral will then be held at Our Lady of Grace Church in Fairview, located at 395 Delano Place, on Friday at 11 a.m.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with a comment from HUdson County Executive Craig Guy, as well as the funeral arrangements for Gargiulo.
