'Rock Of The Family:' Loved Ones Struggle To Make Sense Of Deadly NJ Home Explosion

A New Jersey family is in shambles following a home explosion that took their patriarch and left his brother-in-law seriously injured.

Retired Newark officer Kevin Gilbert Sr., 62, was being remembered on a GoFundMe as the rock of his family, one day after the explosion at his Continental Court home that claimed his life.

"Our hearts ache not only for Kevin Sr. but also for his brother-in-law Curtis, who remains in critical condition as a result of the home explosion," reads the campaign, which had raised more than $34,000 as of Friday evening, May 3.

Gilbert, a 26-year veteran of the Newark Police Department, is survived by his wife, Cleveena, his children Kevin Jr. (KJ, a Somerville police officer who earned a Valor Award in 2022), Indirah, and Khalena; his mother, Eulalia Gilbert, and a host of loved ones and friends.

"Kevin Sr. was more than a retired police officer; he was the rock of the Gilbert family, a devoted husband, a loving son and father, as well as a friend to many," the page reads. "His commitment to serving others, both in his career and within the home, was unwavering."

Kevin Gilbert, 62, died in the South River home explosion on Thursday, May 2 in South River.

Newark Public Safety Director Fritz G. Fragé offered condolences to the family and Gilbert's colleagues.

During his nearly 26-year tenure, retired Gilbert served in various Newark Police Division units, ranging from the 4th Precinct Detective Bureau to the Robbery Unit and the Safe City Task Force.

He was an Orange High School graduate who studied at Bloomfield College, according to his Facebook page.

Click here to donate to the Gilbert family.