Obituary of Gertrude C. Breitenbach

Gertrude C. Breitenbach ,"Gerry", 95, passed away peacefully on May 16, 2017 at Fellowship Village Care Center in Bernards. Born in Newark, NJ to the late Frederick and Clara Breitenbach, she grew up in Irvington, graduated from Irvington High and went on to graduate from Newark State Teachers College with her Master's Degree in Education. Ms. Breitenbach was a teacher with Union County Board of Education before her retirement at the age of 55. A former resident of Maplewood, Gerry had resided in Watchung for over 50 years. She had a love for birds, mushrooms and gardening, and was a master gardener. Gerry was a member of the Audubon Society and the Watchung Garden Club. She was an original founding member of the Watchung Amateur Ski Club, and enjoyed tap dancing and playing the harmonica; a joy she shared with seniors up until her early 90's. Gerry traveled the world and stepped foot on almost every continent, skiing in the Alps, African safari and even walked on the Great Wall of China. She is preceded in death by her dear siblings, Leonard L.Breitenbach and Ruth D. Schoneberger. Surviving are her loving nieces and nephews, Claire Caruana and fiancé Richard de Martino, Frances Thompson and husband Thomas, Eric Schoneberger and wife Wendy, and Leonard Breitenbach and wife Shelly, her great nieces and nephews, Katheryn (Matthew), Matthew, Douglas, Thomas, Emily (Ryan), Lisa, Erica, and Jared, her great great niece and nephews, Ava, Rowan, and Jonathan, sister-in-law Jeanette Breitenbach and brother-in-law Warren Schoneberger along with a wealth of friends. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, June 10, 2017 at 10:00am at St. Luke R.C. Church, 300 Clinton Avenue, North Plainfield, NJ 07063 Memorial contributions may be made in Gerry's memory to St. Luke's Church, the Raptor Trust or the Audubon Society.