Gary D. Messina, 72, passed from this life peacefully, and surrounded by his family, at Jersey Shore Medical Center, in Neptune, New Jersey on Saturday, July 13, 2019.

Gary was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and spent most of his formative years in Linden.

Before recently retiring, he was the CEO of Biological Controls, Inc. and was the founder and former CEO of HEFCO, Inc., both in Eatontown. He was a graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York City and, following his formal education, he entered the advertising industry in Manhattan where he became an art director at Young and Rubicam. He was eventually assigned to Y&R’s office in Milan, Italy, where he produced and directed television and print media advertising throughout Western Europe for several years.

While heading HEFCO and Biological Controls, he used his extraordinary creative and business talents to build two successful businesses that were leaders in the field of high efficiency air filtration. Gary invented and patented some of the most innovative and groundbreaking products in the health care and industrial air filtration fields. Although he ran his businesses full time, he still indulged his love of art. He was an artist, creative writer and photographer, whose interests also included sculpting and pottery making. He was an avid collector and museum enthusiast who enjoyed antiquing, gardening, hand-crafting furniture, and good food and wine. He saw the beauty and artistic potential in things that were ordinary. Whatever he collected no longer remained mundane because his aesthetic appreciation instilled a unique quality … a “cool factor.”

He had a strong appreciation for industrial design, particularly for classic cars, many of which he considered to be works of art, and some of which he collected, particularly 1960s-era Jaguar XKE coupes.

Gary was proud of his family and his Italian heritage. He especially enjoyed the seven fishes dinner on Christmas Eve with his family and for years he would dress as Santa Claus on Christmas Eve to the wonder of his little daughter, nieces and grandnephews and the delight of all.

Gary’s interests were limitless and he frequently travelled to experience new and different things, having his greatest joy when accompanied by his beloved and loving Diane. His daughter, Tess, has her father’s artistic and creative genius and talent which she uses in the field of architectural design, much to Gary’s delight and pride. His most cherished memories were of his time spent each summer with Diane at her ancestral home on beautiful Lake St. Clair in Michigan. When Tess was able to join them both at the lake last summer, he remarked that he was “the happiest man in Michigan!”

His generous spirit and unconditional love for Diane, Tess and his entire family will always be his greatest legacy.

He leaves his beloved Diane Edgar and cherished daughter Tess Messina, his loving mother Janet Messina, brother Gil Messina and his wife Maureen, his sister Joyce Messina, niece Jenny McGee and her husband Rob, nieces Anna and Katie Messina, and grandnephews Mason and Lucas McGee.

Memorial gathering Monday July 22nd 11am until the memorial service at 12:30 pm at Holmdel Funeral Home, 26 South Holmdel Road, Holmdel, NJ. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Salvation Armysalvationarmy.org or Aslan Youth Ministries’ Summer Camp Youth Sponsorship aslanyouth.org (Red Bank, NJ).