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July 3, 2009
Services
Funeral services will be held 9:30 AM on Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Rd., Wayne followed by mass at Our Lady of the Valley Roman Catholic Church at 630 Valley Road in Wayne, New Jersey.
Freda M. Giblin, age 89, of Wayne died unexpectedly on Friday, July 3, 2009.
Freda was born and raised in Pontypool, Wales, United Kingdom, and was a WWII war bride to her beloved husband, Jim. Freda was the former Miss Pontypool and left the United Kingdom to live in the USA in 1942 after a storybook war romance with Jim, who was a captain in the US Army.
Freda often told the story of getting off the Queen Elizabeth steamer and seeing a thousand GI’s waiting for their brides and feeling panicked because they all looked the same against the towering NYC skyline. Jim knew exactly who she was and promptly took her for the first slice of pizza in her life and then to Howard Johnsons for ice cream where she was overwhelmed by the choice of over 20 flavors and took almost an hour to decide. Such was the beginning of her new life in America filled with new experiences, choices, decisions and joys.
Freda and Jim lived on Scoles Ave in Clifton before moving to Wayne in 1957. After her modest upbringing in Pontypool she always felt that in coming to the USA she had “moved to a castle and lived with a prince”. A member of Our Lady of the Valley parish she reveled in her weekly bridge tournaments, reading romance novels, taking trips to the lake for swim lessons with her children and constant parties with her good friends from her special Wayne neighborhood.
Everyone who knew Freda was always charmed by her little British accent and would always comment on what a ‘proper lady” she was. Freda’s 5 grandchildren will always remember her proper little crust less sandwiches and scrumptious popovers.
Freda lived the last part of her life in the Sunrise Assisted Living Center in Wayne after developing severe dementia and Alzheimer’s disease but still enjoyed every day of her life. At Sunrise she was known as the champion of the daily Hangman games and loved to croon along with the piano led sing a longs. Like many Alzheimer’s sufferers she also just loved to sit and look at the different colors in the trees and birds and would often comment on the marvels of nature.
But mostly, those that knew and loved her will remember the petite fiery ” little lady” who could talk on most any subject with eloquence and bring a special gift to all.
Freda is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Jillian and George Fischer and her son and daughter-in-law James & Karen Giblin. Freda was blessed with 5 grandchildren; Geoff, Jonathan and Jennifer Fischer, and James and Kristen Giblin.
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Funeral services will be held 9:30 AM on Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Rd., Wayne followed by mass at Our Lady of the Valley Roman Catholic Church at 630 Valley Road in Wayne, New Jersey.
July 3, 2009
Services
Funeral services will be held 9:30 AM on Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Rd., Wayne followed by mass at Our Lady of the Valley Roman Catholic Church at 630 Valley Road in Wayne, New Jersey.
Freda M. Giblin, age 89, of Wayne died unexpectedly on Friday, July 3, 2009.
Freda was born and raised in Pontypool, Wales, United Kingdom, and was a WWII war bride to her beloved husband, Jim. Freda was the former Miss Pontypool and left the United Kingdom to live in the USA in 1942 after a storybook war romance with Jim, who was a captain in the US Army.
Freda often told the story of getting off the Queen Elizabeth steamer and seeing a thousand GI’s waiting for their brides and feeling panicked because they all looked the same against the towering NYC skyline. Jim knew exactly who she was and promptly took her for the first slice of pizza in her life and then to Howard Johnsons for ice cream where she was overwhelmed by the choice of over 20 flavors and took almost an hour to decide. Such was the beginning of her new life in America filled with new experiences, choices, decisions and joys.
Freda and Jim lived on Scoles Ave in Clifton before moving to Wayne in 1957. After her modest upbringing in Pontypool she always felt that in coming to the USA she had “moved to a castle and lived with a prince”. A member of Our Lady of the Valley parish she reveled in her weekly bridge tournaments, reading romance novels, taking trips to the lake for swim lessons with her children and constant parties with her good friends from her special Wayne neighborhood.
Everyone who knew Freda was always charmed by her little British accent and would always comment on what a ‘proper lady” she was. Freda’s 5 grandchildren will always remember her proper little crust less sandwiches and scrumptious popovers.
Freda lived the last part of her life in the Sunrise Assisted Living Center in Wayne after developing severe dementia and Alzheimer’s disease but still enjoyed every day of her life. At Sunrise she was known as the champion of the daily Hangman games and loved to croon along with the piano led sing a longs. Like many Alzheimer’s sufferers she also just loved to sit and look at the different colors in the trees and birds and would often comment on the marvels of nature.
But mostly, those that knew and loved her will remember the petite fiery ” little lady” who could talk on most any subject with eloquence and bring a special gift to all.
Freda is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Jillian and George Fischer and her son and daughter-in-law James & Karen Giblin. Freda was blessed with 5 grandchildren; Geoff, Jonathan and Jennifer Fischer, and James and Kristen Giblin.
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