To be held at the Funeral Home

Gregory Albert DeCanio (58) passed away peacefully on May 13th, 2023, with his family and friends lovingly by his side. Born February 16th, 1965, to Joyce and Albert. Greg lived his rambunctious young life in Brentwood, NY with his brothers Mark and Patrick, along with many lifelong friends nearby. Greg is survived by his loving wife Kimberly, his wonderful children Michael and Lauren, his brothers Mark and Patrick, his sisters-in-laws Hilary and Kelly, his brother-in-law Kent, his mother-in-law Trudy, Robert, Helen, and his loving stepmother Helen. Greg was a loving uncle to Darius, Jordan, Gavin, Jillian, Arden, Aliva, Alanna, Dana, Brenden, Brooke, and Heaven. Greg is preceded in death by his parents Albert and Joyce DeCanio, and his sister Nancy. Spanning over more than 35 years, Greg forged an impressive career for himself as Chief of Airport Law Enforcement at Long Island MacArthur Airport, shaping its Law Enforcement Division for generations to come. It was there that he met his loving wife, Kimberly. He and Kimberly raised their two wonderful children Michael and Lauren, first in Brentwood, then in East Islip. Forever proud of his children, touting them as “his greatest accomplishments.” Greg and Kim retired to Cape Coral FL to be close friends.

Family vacations up in Ludlow, VT, as well as boating on the Great South Bay, and family outings on Fire Island, led to a lifelong love of the beach, water, and the outdoors, and the friends he found there. Greg was strong willed and stubborn at times, but he also had an enormous heart and wonderful sense of humor. He was generous, loyal, and brave to a fault. He was clever and full to the brim with knowledge gained through all his life experiences as a police officer and Emergency Medical Technician. Greg will be remembered for all the heart, humor, and generosity he shared with his friends and family. He genuinely loved each of them- and if you knew him, you knew it. He showed enormous love for his many pets over the years. When his time came, he carried himself with dignity, strength, and full of love for those who went before him. We are all diminished by his passing. Furthermore, Greg freely volunteered an enormous amount of his time as an EMT with Exchange Ambulance of the Islip's where he served as Chief, as well as a Member of the Board. As a mentor to many people in Law Enforcement and the Emergency Services communities, his impact and influence will be felt for years to come. Greg had a love for music, especially The Beatles, as well as enjoying the occasional glass of Jack Daniels when in the company of friends and family. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for donations to be made in Greg's name to the American Diabetes Association. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at Fredrick J. Chapey & Sons Funeral Home in East Islip NY on Saturday May 20th from 3-7 PM for those wishing to attend.

American Diabetes Association P.O. Box 7023 Merrifield, VA 22116-7023 or Exchange Ambulance Corp of the Islips P.O. Box 1 East Islip, NY 11730