Gerhard Gaisser cherished his friends and family and was always ready to make life easier and richer for those around him, said his son, Karl Gaisser.
He lived his life with compassion and grace.
“He was a remarkably honest and a loving person to all of the people with whom he came in contact,” he said.
Gerhard “GG” Gaisser, 86, of Munster and Hammond, died Feb. 2.
He worked 35 years for the Hammond Fire Department, retiring as battalion chief fire inspector. He had been president of the Retired Hammond Firefighters Local 556. He was a US Navy veteran.
He was preceded in death by Betty Gaisser, his wife of 62 years.
Joe Scasny first met Gaisser in grade school, and then the two served in the fire department together. He said the they were lifelong friends who brought out the best in each other.
“We were close friends. I admired his toughness,” he said. “He acted tough, but he wasn’t as tough as he acted.”
He loved the loyalty and the brotherhood of the fire department, and treated everyone he came across with compassion. He worked both on the fire truck and the ambulance.
“While he was on the ambulance, he understood the human side of all the injured to which he tended,” he said. “He truly felt their pain and their fear. As a result, he was able to comfort them in a way no other person could.”
He loved his monthly breakfasts at The Wheel with his fellow retired firefighters.
“He found an avenue with which he could stay active in the affairs of the department,” he said. “He fought diligently in order to enhance the benefits of not only the retirees but all firefighters.”
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