The Mercer County Firemen’s Association took time Wednesday night to honor a man many in the room described simply as an institution: Gilbert “Gil” Lugossy, the county’s longtime representative to the New Jersey Firemen’s Home and a towering figure in Hamilton and Mercer County public life for more than six decades.
Lugossy, now 89, recently stepped down after 26 years on the Firemen’s Home Board of Managers, the only licensed long-term care facility in New Jersey dedicated exclusively to firefighters. The Association presented him with an award Wednesday at the Union Fire Company in Titusville, where the group rotates its meetings each month.
Lugossy said he was moved by the turnout. “I was surprised at the number of people there… they filled the room up, and it just went so well and nice,” he said. “I enjoyed it… I knew a lot of the firefighters there already.”
A lifetime rooted in service
Born in Trenton and raised in Hamilton, Lugossy began volunteering with the Rusling Hose Company in 1957, shortly after graduating from Hamilton High School and attending Brown University. From there, his civic résumé grew into one of the most wide-ranging in Mercer County:
- Five terms as Mercer County Sheriff
- Service on the Hamilton Township Board of Education
- Two terms as Mercer County Freeholder (now Commissioner)
- A graduate of the FBI National Academy
- Roles on state and local boards and commissions
- More than half a century supporting the region’s fire service
“I just felt good to be able to help people or organizations… maybe make things better and do my best. That was my style,” he said.
Even in retirement, he still stops by the firehouse daily. “I go to the fire station — I’m the mailman,” he laughed. “I take care of the mail that comes in every day and work with the guys.”
Praise from local leaders
Several local officials attended Wednesday’s ceremony, including Mercer County Executive Dan Benson, who read a county proclamation recognizing Lugossy’s decades of public service, and Hopewell Township Mayor Courtney Peters-Manning, who said:
“Gil Lugossy is an institution in Mercer County, and I am honored to celebrate his many years of service.”
State leaders also weighed in. A joint legislative resolution sponsored by Sen. Shirley Turner, Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, and Assemblyman Anthony Verrelli praised Lugossy as a “highly esteemed resident of the Garden State,” commending his work at the Firemen’s Home, his leadership in law enforcement, and his contributions to civic organizations across Mercer County.
Sen. Turner also sent a personal letter noting that Lugossy has “brought integrity, strength, and uncommon devotion to a mission rooted in care” and served as a model of “what community-minded leadership looks like.”
A proclamation from the Mercer County Executive and County Commissioners highlighted his “lifetime dedicated to the betterment of his community.”
A mentor and example
Hamilton Township Mayor Jeff Martin said Lugossy’s impact on the community is both deep and personal.
“Gil certainly is an institution unto himself here in Hamilton,” Martin said. “On a personal level, he’s been a mentor to me… giving me advice, whispering things in my ear that I needed to hear — or sometimes didn’t want to hear.”
Martin added that many in Hamilton still affectionately call him Uncle Gil because he is always out in the community “in good spirits… looking to be a help to anybody who needs it.”
‘His volunteerism just continues’
Mercer County Firemen’s Association President Mike Chipowsky, who also spoke at the event, said Lugossy’s legacy spans far beyond firefighting.
“Gil Lugossy has been a fixture in Mercer County for as long as I can remember,” Chipowsky said. “He’s certainly lived a full life, which is far from over — and his volunteerism just continues.”
Chipowsky noted that Lugossy embodies the long tradition of volunteer service that still supports many fire departments across the region, even as some have transitioned to professional staffing. “It’s something we need to keep alive… volunteers play an integral part in our day-to-day safety,” he said.
Why the Firemen’s Home mattered to him
For 26 years, Lugossy served as Mercer County’s representative to the New Jersey Firemen’s Home, located in Boonton. The home, established in 1898, provides long-term and residential health care to firefighters — the only facility in the state dedicated exclusively to the fire service.
Lugossy said his dedication came naturally: “I started as a volunteer firefighter… I had a feeling for the fire service.” When the manager position opened, “I had an opportunity to take a spot… and I enjoyed it.”
Still moving
Though officially “fully retired,” Lugossy says he intends to stay active as long as he can.
“I’ll still be up and around and keep moving as long as I can,” he said. “I enjoyed the event last evening… and I was very pleased.”
As he approaches his 90th birthday in March, Lugossy remains — as he has since 1957 — a steady presence in Mercer County civic life.
