Georgette Deraney

Georgette Deraney, age 84, of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Thursday, August 8, 2019. She was in the loving presence of her dear family at the time of her passing into God’s loving arms.

Georgette, or simply “Gette” as she was affectionately called, was born in Gloversville, NY – known for its world famous glove making, including those long elegant gloves worn by Hollywood stars from a bygone era. She spent the formative years of her life in Gloversville, graduating from her hometown Gloversville High School before attending and graduating from Cortland State University in Cortland, New York on June 9, 1956 with her Bachelor’s degree in Education. Seven days later, on June 16, 1956, Gette married the love of her life, Henry “Hank” Deraney at St. Mary’s Church then headed off together to Washington DC for their honeymoon. Their first encounter in life – a walk with their moms, took place when Gette was just a few months old and Hank was eleven. Both of Lebanese descent, their parents had been good friends before coming to America. When Hank’s father passed away at an early age, his mother returned to Lebanon with her family. Hank spent the rest of his childhood there eventually joining the U.S. Air Force as a young man. He and Georgette’s family always stayed in touch and, after World War II, Hank requested to be discharged to New York City. Upon his return to civilian life, the first thing he did was return to Gloversville, NY. Georgette and Hank dated for only three months before he proposed marriage. Surprisingly, Gette said she needed to think about it for a few days. She ultimately accepted his proposal and they enjoyed a loving and devoted marriage of 45 years before Hank’s passing in 2002.

Following their summer wedding, Georgette and Hank moved to Fair Lawn, NJ where Gette began teaching first and second grade in the Fair Lawn Public Schools that following September. Though she was enjoying her new career, her teaching career ended almost as fast as it started with the arrival of their firstborn, Hank, Jr. in May, 1957. Eleven months later, Hank, Jr. got a little brother named Robert and, twelve months after that, the family welcomed baby Michele – three children in just 33 months! Needless to say, Georgette’s primary role became the care and nurture of her three children, a duty which she shared with Hank’s mother who came to live with them.

Georgette made that house in Fair Lawn, a loving home for her husband and children until 1968 when they moved to Wayne. It was well known that friends and family were always welcome and many of them coming and going from Lebanon were fortunate recipients of Gette’s warmth and welcoming hospitality. She used to joke that there surely was a sign down at the shipping pier that said “All are welcome to stay at the Deraney house.” Gette’s outstanding cooking alone was a good reason for visitors to want to stay a few days. She made the best Tabbouleh and Kibbi as well as other fantastic Lebanese recipes. Gette was such a great cook that many members of the family happily took cooking lessons from her.

In between all the activity in their busy home, Georgette and Hank managed to start their own water testing and treatment business together in 1959. They called it Deran Water Conditioning and Hank soon brought his younger brother Edward Deraney into the business with them. Together they built the business from the ground up, eventually having over seventy employees. Hank took care of all the sales, installation and service while Gette made sure that all the financial and administrative aspects of the business were in good order. In between, they managed to get away every summer with their children for some fun times at Lake George in New York State. After retiring, Georgette and Hank also enjoyed some travel to Europe.

To Georgette, nothing in life was more important to her than her family and her faith. If you wanted to know anything about her or Hank’s family’s ancestry, Gette was the family historian with all the answers. She could tell you anything about any family member going back to both her and Hank’s great-grandparents on both sides. She simply adored her grandchildren and great-grandchildren knitting her family together like the blankets she made for each of them and the scarves that she would make for anyone. Her heart was truly broken at the loss of her son Robert in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and naturally, she did her best to fill the role of a caring mother again at age 71 to her grandchildren Zade and Zana when their mother and her daughter Michelle passed away in 2006. Through all the good times and challenging times, it was Georgette’s deep faith in God that sustained her, helped her make sense of this world, and inspired her.    

Georgette was the beloved wife of Hank, Sr., blessed in marriage for 45 years until his passing in 2002. She was the loving and devoted mother of the late Michele Deraney Haobsh (2006), the late Robert J. Deraney (9/11/2001), and Hank Deraney, Jr. and wife Debbie of Pompton Lakes; cherished grandmother of Hank Deraney, III and wife Angie, James Deraney and wife Kelly, Daniel Deraney and Michelle Leto, Zade Haobsh, and Zana Haobsh; adoring great-grandmother of Bennett, Hank, IV, Nora and Jack; dear sister of George Farhart and wife Pamela of Gloversville, NY and Margo Potter and husband Jim of Oneonta, NY; dear sister-in-law of the late Edward Deraney and his wife Pam Deraney; dear aunt of: Colleen and husband Scott Andrew, Cathy and husband Jake Deleski, Christopher and wife Jessica Farhart, Dr. Rashid and wife Dr. Rola Baddoura, Dr. Walid Baddoura, Randa and husband Dr. Jack Tohme, Renee and husband Randy Severs, Robert and wife Janice Haddad, Rose and husband Rod Kulp, the late Rod Haddad, Danielle and husband Tony Palumbo, Rod and wife May Deraney, and Edward Deraney; and numerous cousins.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Georgette’s name are asked to consider St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105-9959 or online at stjude.org.

http://stjude.org