Gary Neal Sandberg of Franklin, N.J., passed away on Thursday, March 25, 2021.
Born May 1, 1951, in Newton, N.J., and raised in Blairstown, N.J., Gary lived in Vernon, N.J., for nearly 20 years before recently moving to Franklin.
He served the public as a highly decorated and dedicated law enforcement professional for 32 years before serving his country as an embedded police mentor in Afghanistan.
Gary graduated from Blairstown High School, where he played varsity soccer and baseball and was on the wrestling and gymnastics teams. He worked in the family business, Blairstown Auto Body, before graduating the #165 Municipal Police Class, New Jersey State Police Training Academy, in Sea Girt, N.J. He attended Seton Hall University, where he studied criminology and psychology and later completed numerous law enforcement training programs, including the prestigious Leadership and Command School at West Point.
Mr. Sandberg was a municipal police officer in Blairstown for ten years before joining the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office in 1988, where he worked for 22 years as a detective, eventually attaining the rank of captain of detectives. He had an extensive supervisory background in administration and operations, criminal investigations, prosecutorial case preparation, internal affairs, Homeland Security, and counter terrorism coordination and collaborated with various municipal, state and federal law enforcement agencies. He conducted over 2,500 criminal investigations, most notably in the Major Case/Homicides, Narcotics Task Force, and Sex Crimes/Child Abuse Units, and was honored by the Sussex County Detectives Association with the William Geffken “Detective of the Year” award before retiring in 2011. Later he served for two years with United Nations Military Forces as an embedded police mentor to the Afghan National Police in several remote operating posts in Afghanistan.
Survivors include his beloved son, Matthew, and granddaughter, Malina; step-sons, Peter Hendrickson, Andrew, and Christopher Fiorenza; his former wife, Kathleen Duca; step-mother, Ann Sandberg; brothers, Lenarth R. Sandberg and his wife, Karen, Scott Sandberg and his wife, Doris, and Carl Sandberg; sisters, Kathleen Gerry and her husband, Christopher, and Jan Zukoski. He also is survived by his Uncle Robert Sandberg and his wife, Judy; his cousins; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his mother, Ruth (Smith) Sandberg; his father, Lenarth T. Sandberg; his Uncle Harold Sandberg; his former wife, Susan; and sister-in-law, Rosalie Sandberg, who was married to Carl.
Memorial visitation will be held Friday April 9, from 5-8:30 p.m., with memorial services beginning at 8:30 p.m., in the Iliff-Ruggiero Funeral Home #156 Main St. (Route 206) Newton, N.J.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project (woundedwarriorproject.org).