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November 2, 2023
Services
Friends may visit with the family from 2-5 PM on Saturday, November 11, 2023 at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne. A 5 PM service will be held at the conclusion of the visitation hours.
Gayle W. Babitz, age 82, of Wayne passed peacefully holding the hand of her husband John, on Thursday, November 2, 2023.
She was born in Paterson and raised at 23 Squaw Brook Road in North Haledon. She graduated from Hawthorne High School with the Class of 1959. After high school she continued her education at a Paterson secretarial school.
Gayle’s first job was for one dollar an hour at the Haband store on North 8th Street in Paterson, the Sears Roebuck Company in Paterson and the New Jersey Bell Telephone Company in Paterson as a keypunch operator until 1964 when she was pregnant with her first child. In 1982, when her children were old enough, she worked for the Sicoma Chiropractic Company in Prospect Park and finally the Dale Family Chiropractic Company in Midland Park where she worked for twenty years before retiring in 2001.
Gayle was a lady of remarkable strength and talent, who has a profound love for crafting. Her passion for knitting, quilting, sewing, and especially crocheting, has always been a vibrant part of her life. In 2001, Gayle faced a significant health challenge when she had to get a mechanical valve in her aorta. Her spirit remained undeterred, and this didn’t slow her down in the least. During the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic, she found a unique way to make a difference. Gayle crocheted 400 vibrantly colored pillows, a testament to her skill and dedication to others. These were donated to the Preakness Healthcare Center in Wayne, bringing comfort and a touch of home to others. Her story is a testament to the power of resilience, creativity, and kindness. Gayle’s dedication to others is also exemplified by her joining the Ladies Auxiliary of Preakness Volunteer Fire Company 4 in Wayne where she has served from 1967 and was still a member in 2023. Those who know Gayle will remember her never being able to sit for too long and suddenly stating “C’mon Let’s Go!”
John and Gayle's serendipitous encounter began with a blind date that would change their lives forever. On a warm summer evening, they found themselves at a nostalgic drive-in theater, where they were about to watch "The Misfits," starring Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe. As the screen flickered to life, John's heart raced with anticipation. Sitting beside him was Gayle, a woman of grace and charm, who shared his excitement. What made this rendezvous even more special was the company of John's supportive brother and sister-in-law, who had orchestrated the blind date. Little did John and Gayle know that the silver screen would be the backdrop to their first kiss, budding romance, one that would flourish into a lifelong love story, full of adventure, laughter, and cherished memories. John asked Gayle’s mom if he could marry her, and she emphatically said “NO.” John’s mom felt the same way and insisted they wait until they were twenty-one years old. John and Gayle would outlast his and her mother’s and marry on November 3, 1962, when they were both twenty-one, at Blessed Sacrament Church in Paterson. It is said they honeymooned at Niagara Falls, New York. John and Gayle have enjoyed sixty-one years of a loving, laughter-filled, and devoted, marriage of “best friends.”
Gayle is survived by her husband John J. Babitz, Jr., she was the loving mother of Bryan Babitz and his wife Ruth of Zephyrhills, FL, Cheryl Barnes and her husband Kevin of Totowa, John Babitz and his wife Lisa of Maiden, NC, and her extended family Diane Simon of Euless, TX and Paul Simon of Grand Prairie, TX; and she was the devoted grandmother of Liz Babitz, Johnny Babitz, Lexi Babitz, Kevin Barnes, Jake Barnes, and Christopher Fuentes.
Instead of flowers the family would greatly appreciate memorial donations to the Alzheimer’s New Jersey, or the St Jude Children’s Research Hospital to honor Gayle’s memory.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit with the family from 2-5 PM on Saturday, November 11, 2023 at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne. A 5 PM service will be held at the conclusion of the visitation hours.
November 2, 2023
Services
Friends may visit with the family from 2-5 PM on Saturday, November 11, 2023 at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne. A 5 PM service will be held at the conclusion of the visitation hours.
Gayle W. Babitz, age 82, of Wayne passed peacefully holding the hand of her husband John, on Thursday, November 2, 2023.
She was born in Paterson and raised at 23 Squaw Brook Road in North Haledon. She graduated from Hawthorne High School with the Class of 1959. After high school she continued her education at a Paterson secretarial school.
Gayle’s first job was for one dollar an hour at the Haband store on North 8th Street in Paterson, the Sears Roebuck Company in Paterson and the New Jersey Bell Telephone Company in Paterson as a keypunch operator until 1964 when she was pregnant with her first child. In 1982, when her children were old enough, she worked for the Sicoma Chiropractic Company in Prospect Park and finally the Dale Family Chiropractic Company in Midland Park where she worked for twenty years before retiring in 2001.
Gayle was a lady of remarkable strength and talent, who has a profound love for crafting. Her passion for knitting, quilting, sewing, and especially crocheting, has always been a vibrant part of her life. In 2001, Gayle faced a significant health challenge when she had to get a mechanical valve in her aorta. Her spirit remained undeterred, and this didn’t slow her down in the least. During the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic, she found a unique way to make a difference. Gayle crocheted 400 vibrantly colored pillows, a testament to her skill and dedication to others. These were donated to the Preakness Healthcare Center in Wayne, bringing comfort and a touch of home to others. Her story is a testament to the power of resilience, creativity, and kindness. Gayle’s dedication to others is also exemplified by her joining the Ladies Auxiliary of Preakness Volunteer Fire Company 4 in Wayne where she has served from 1967 and was still a member in 2023. Those who know Gayle will remember her never being able to sit for too long and suddenly stating “C’mon Let’s Go!”
John and Gayle's serendipitous encounter began with a blind date that would change their lives forever. On a warm summer evening, they found themselves at a nostalgic drive-in theater, where they were about to watch "The Misfits," starring Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe. As the screen flickered to life, John's heart raced with anticipation. Sitting beside him was Gayle, a woman of grace and charm, who shared his excitement. What made this rendezvous even more special was the company of John's supportive brother and sister-in-law, who had orchestrated the blind date. Little did John and Gayle know that the silver screen would be the backdrop to their first kiss, budding romance, one that would flourish into a lifelong love story, full of adventure, laughter, and cherished memories. John asked Gayle’s mom if he could marry her, and she emphatically said “NO.” John’s mom felt the same way and insisted they wait until they were twenty-one years old. John and Gayle would outlast his and her mother’s and marry on November 3, 1962, when they were both twenty-one, at Blessed Sacrament Church in Paterson. It is said they honeymooned at Niagara Falls, New York. John and Gayle have enjoyed sixty-one years of a loving, laughter-filled, and devoted, marriage of “best friends.”
Gayle is survived by her husband John J. Babitz, Jr., she was the loving mother of Bryan Babitz and his wife Ruth of Zephyrhills, FL, Cheryl Barnes and her husband Kevin of Totowa, John Babitz and his wife Lisa of Maiden, NC, and her extended family Diane Simon of Euless, TX and Paul Simon of Grand Prairie, TX; and she was the devoted grandmother of Liz Babitz, Johnny Babitz, Lexi Babitz, Kevin Barnes, Jake Barnes, and Christopher Fuentes.
Instead of flowers the family would greatly appreciate memorial donations to the Alzheimer’s New Jersey, or the St Jude Children’s Research Hospital to honor Gayle’s memory.
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