“If I die doing something I love, then I lived a good life.”
That was the motto John Michael Grassia III lived by from the time he was a young boy growing up in Rotterdam until March 8, when the 30-year-old state trooper was killed in a helicopter crash while patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border on deployment with the New York National Guard.
Grassia, a chief warrant officer with the National Guard who was hoping to climb the ranks of state police following his tour of duty in the fall, was mourned Tuesday during a funeral service at St. John the Evangelist Church in Schenectady that was attended by hundreds of family, friends, state police, military personnel and other dignities, including Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Remembered for his patriotism and selflessness, Grassia was “a remarkable human” who dreamed of serving his country since the 9/11 terrorist attacks occurred when he was a young boy.
He loved taking risks and had a deep love of motocross, and the ability to become the life of any party, according to his older sisters, Gina McDermott and Krista Rotondi, who delivered a joint eulogy.
“Everyone viewed him as a best friend,” they said.
A graduate of Schalmont High School, Grassia immediately enlisted in the Army National Guard after graduating in 2012. He went on to graduate from the University at Albany with a degree in informatics and cyber security that turned into a two-year career with the state’s Division of Homeland Security.
Grassia could have continued his career as a civilian, but opted to attend Warrant Officer Candidate School in the hopes of becoming a helicopter pilot — a lifelong dream, according to McDermott and Rotondi.
The sisters shared how the younger Grassia adorned his bedroom with an American flag as a child and constantly put himself before others. He was “equal parts free spirited and hard-working,” the sisters said.
“He was the pride and joy of our family,” they added.
