Read about this Lynbrook hero's amazing life

The larger Lynbrook community may remember Gerry Denk as the man who saved Our Lady of Peace from a gunman in 2002. To those who loved him, however, that was just one item of a very long list of what made him special — they remember his contagious laughter, his lifelong sense of adventure, and his commitment to his wife, children, and grandchildren.

“He would just do anything for his family, anything for anybody,” said his daughter Tara Denk. “He was just such a good human being.”

Gerry passed away on April 27 after battling throat cancer. His resilience lives on in his family, including his sisters Denise and Barbara, his wife Louise, their children Tara and Gregory, and their four grandchildren Nicholas, Olivia, Luca, and Penelope, who range in age from 6 years old to 18 months. 

“He loved doing things with all four grandchildren,” Gerry’s wife Louise said. “Whenever he could be with them, he was. Any event they had — dance recital, graduation, birthday party, whatever it was, Gerry was right there with them.”

Tara recently visited Bay Park, where she and her father would feed the ducks and fly kites together. “I just knew that all those people sitting there would have probably talked to him. He’d always lend an ear to everybody,” she said.

“He was always asking other people how they were, and if there was anything he could do for them,” Louise added.

His sister Denise reflected on his memory in a striking eulogy that honored his life and his character.

“Gerry will always be with us,” Denise wrote. “His crazy sense of humor, his intelligence, his uncommon bravery, his selfless service to everyone who needed him. I will miss him but know he is pain-free and still beautiful.”

Her eulogy tells the story of a man full of strength, love, and dedication to what is right. Gerry was a Vietnam War veteran — he joined the Marines and attained the rank of sergeant during his time stationed in the Philippines. While still serving, he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma of the jaw. Though only 22, undergoing surgery and chemotherapy, and living thousands of miles away from his family, Denk refused to let the situation waver his sense of purpose. He spent his time in the Naval Hospital assisting the ward nurses and helping other patients. This is a pillar of who Gerry was as a person — someone who constantly puts others ahead of himself.

“If somebody was gardening and needed help, he’d be right there helping them plant the plants,” said Louise. “If somebody’s car broke down, he’d be right there fixing the flat. Whatever it was, he was just always there.”

Gerry was the kind of person who follows through. He wouldn’t ask how you are just to be polite — he’d listen to your answer. He wouldn’t offer his help just as a gesture — he would really do it. That’s part of what Tara misses the most about her father.

“He wasn’t the type of person who just asked to ask,” she said. “He’d follow through. He does things that other people wouldn’t, or they’d say they’d do. But he actually does what he says.”

Those who didn’t already know Gerry learned his name in 2002, when he single handedly wrestled a gun from a man who opened fire in Our Lady of Peace. The gunman killed Father Larry Penzes and parishioner Eileen Tosner, and was still firing when Gerry tackled him to the floor, grabbing the barrel of the gun and stopping any further deaths.

“Gerry’s a hero, plain and simple,” said Steve Grogan, a family friend and former captain of the Lynbrook Fire Department. “If he weren’t there many more lives would have been lost.”

“My parents were sitting right behind Mrs. Tosner at that mass,” said one Facebook commenter. “Gerry Denk probably saved their lives.”

The announcement of Gerry’s death was met with an outpouring of condolences on social media — a testament to the countless number of lives he touched as a shining light in his community. Though dozens of comments highlighted his bravery in 2002, even more spoke of his kindness and his friendship. To those who knew him, Gerry was more than a local hero — he was a friend, a father, a husband. He was someone who showed up for everyone, and put their needs before his own.

“That’s comfort I’m finding,” Tara said. “It’s not that people are just reaching out to me now that he’s passed away. These are things people would say to me when they’d find out he’s my dad, or my daughter’s grandpa. They’d say these things to us constantly, not just now.”

Gerry and Louise first met in the eighth grade, and were “inseparable ever since,” Denise wrote. They married in 1982, and more than 40 years of beautiful marriage followed. When Gerry was diagnosed last July with throat cancer, Louise’s courage and resilience — as well as their children Tara’s and Gregory’s — helped Gerry face the challenge.

“Louise always called Gerry her rock,” Denise wrote. “But Louise became his rock. I don’t know how she kept everything together, but she did. Her devotion to Gerry was steadfast and courageous.”

Gerry’s signature strength struck everyone around him. Despite struggling himself, he made friends with the doctors, nurses, and patients — always asking about their lives and their families.

“They’d be like, ‘you’re the one that’s sick, but your instinct is to ask us how we are, and doing stuff for us?’” Tara said.

His roommate in Sloan-Kettering and North Shore Hospital said Gerry inspired him to keep fighting. The doctors, nurses, and therapists that knew him took it upon themselves to reach out to Louise, letting her know that his courage and kindness touched them and will never be forgotten.

Gerry’s life was marked by his bravery, his selflessness, and his service to others. Those who want to honor his memory are welcome to make donations to North Shore Animal League or local church food pantries.