A resident of Parsippany, Morris County, DeCroce collapsed during the closing minutes of a marathon day of debate about lame-duck legislation. He was 75 and leaves a widow, three grown children, and three grandchildren.
"He called this chamber home," a somber-suited Christie told the crowd. "He fought the good fight on this floor, right to the end of his life."
Not a bad way to go, even if some of DeCroce's final words likely involved a piece of legislation arcane to many - one allowing direct sales by small New Jersey wineries.
But that was beside the point the governor was making. Politics, a profession more often lampooned than praised, doesn't have to be a war, or a joke. It can be an honorable calling.
And the call can be answered by good people, of whom his Republican friend and mentor was one.
"Alex was incredibly hardworking," Christie said, noting the Assemblyman's long-standing efforts on transportation and the rights of crime victims.
"His commitment was born out of his sense of fairness and his huge heart for those who had suffered a great personal loss," the governor continued. "The victims of crime and their families have lost their greatest advocate."
DeCroce, he declared, was "a source of all that is good in politics and public service."
Fresh from campaigning for Mitt Romney in New Hampshire, Christie was to have delivered the State of the State address in the chamber Tuesday.
Instead, he gave what was very much a eulogy, a 10-minute testimonial straight from the heart.
Christie's voice occasionally swelled with emotion but never faltered as he described losing his "most loyal friend" in Trenton.
"He was dedicated, honest, and down to earth. A source of advice. A source of insight. A source of consolation for friends, and the object of admiration even from political adversaries."
