Montclair Man Dies At 22 After His Battle With COVID Rallies Town

MONTCLAIR, NJ — When a wave of coronavirus cases temporarily sidelined Montclair’s recycling workers, Jordan Tassy saw a chance to fill a need in his community. Rolling up his sleeves, he hauled payloads of bottles, cans, cardboard and more to the municipal yard on North Fullerton Avenue for neighbors who couldn’t manage the task themselves. It was an entrepreneurial spirit that made him scores of new friends along the way.

But on Thursday, Montclair was left reeling when Tassy, 22, died from complications related to COVID-19.

Tassy’s passing came shortly after an online fundraiser to help pay for his medical bills saw a massive response from the Montclair community, raising more than $46,000 from nearly 900 donors.

In the GoFundMe campaign, Tassy’s mother, Norma, offered some details about his battle with the virus, which has been linked to 69 deaths in the township.

She wrote:

"My beloved son, Jordan, was diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 15. On March 16, after a night of not feeling well, Jordan left our home by ambulance headed for the Mountainside Hospital Emergency Room. At the time, we believed he would be treated and released. By mid-day on the 16th, Jordan was on a ventilator and we were told that his chance of survival was slim."

Tassy continued:

"Jordan faces a long hospitalization, as he has severe COVID pneumonia in both lungs, and a host of other challenges that come with COVID. Following his release from Mountainside, I am anticipating a large amount of unmet medical expenses."

She concluded:

"All day, I speak to Jordan with my heart and I say 'You are the light in my eyes and the love in my heart. Please Jordan, please come back to us.' I need him. His family needs him. The world needs him. I love and thank you all for making this unbearable burden a tiny bit lighter."

On Wednesday, Tassy told Patch that her son was making “baby steps” toward progress, and that she was grateful for the community’s support.

But Tassy’s battle with the virus has since taken a tragic turn – and left a town in mourning, Montclair Councilman Peter Yacobellis reported Thursday.

He wrote:

“Early this morning I learned of the passing of Jordan Tassy from complications related to COVID-19. Many of you have long known Jordan and I won't pretend to understand your grief. Many of you have only recently gotten to know of Jordan because of work he was doing to augment our town services that were curtailed dramatically because of a COVID-19 outbreak among our employees. That's how I got to know him and I am commenting from the perspective of a member of an at-large community grieving him.”

Yacobellis praised Tassy’s efforts to help the town cope with its recent recycling woes, sharing a photo of him at work via social media (see below).

“With an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to help, Jordan got to work, helping residents, small businesses and non-profits get their recycling to the yard,” the councilman recalled.

Yacobellis continued:

“I've been thinking a lot about service lately and community. The pandemic has shined a light on what those things look like in all of their forms. And for all of the darkness, we've also seen such beautiful spirit. Living the famous mantra of John F. Kennedy; Jordan didn't ask what this town could do for him. He stepped up and asked what he could do for this town. That's who we lost. And it's devastatingly heartbreaking. And thank you to everyone who contributed to the GoFundMe fundraiser for his medical expenses. That was a beautiful thing to witness.”

“Rest in eternal peace, Jordan,” Yacobellis concluded. “Thank you for your service to our community.”

The Rev. Anya Sammler-Michael of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Montclair offered a heartfelt video message of mourning for Tassy (watch below).

The heartbreak was also felt by the staff at the Human Needs Food Pantry, a local nonprofit that serves Essex County.

“Jordan picked up our recycling when the town suspended service,” the pantry wrote. “We join our community in mourning his untimely passing.”

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