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January 1, 2012
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Friday, January 6, 2012 from 4-8 PM. Funeral Services will be held at St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church, 395 Valley Road, Wayne at 11 AM on Saturday, January 7.
Robert Thomas W. Gerding, age 79 of Totowa, died on Sunday, January 1, 2012. He has been a Totowa resident since 1959.
Bob grew up in Union City, New Jersey and graduated from Emerson High School with the class of 1952. He had been in the Navy reserves during high school and upon graduation, the U.S. Army sent him a draft notice. He wasn’t excited about having to join the Army, so he went to his Navy superior with the news and they put him on active duty with the Navy. He enjoyed his time in the service and was discharged in 1956.
In 1954, while on leave from the Navy, Bob married his high school sweetheart, Peggy Udland, on September 11, 1954. They took a bus to “Honeymoon Haven” in Dingman’s Ferry, Pennsylvania for their honeymoon. They celebrated their 57th anniversary this past September and have enjoyed many loving years together. Family was very important to Bob and made many happy memories with all of them over the years. Summer vacations at Cazenovia Lake in New York State, and at their friend’s dairy farm in Caroline, NY, where they worked all week; milking the cows, stacking the hay bales and driving the tractors. They were exhausted by weeks-end, but it never seemed like work to them; it was too much fun. They also enjoyed a family reunion every year since 1989 and sometimes had more than fifty people in attendance. He had been on several cruises and visited Alaska and Norway over the years.
Bob began his professional career even before going off to the Navy, working in a machine shop in Hoboken. In his early 20’s, he was fortunate enough to get an apprentice position with the local sheet metal union, which eventually became Local 25. He worked his way up the ranks and went to school where he received his draftsman’s certificate. With that certificate in hand, he moved from the shop to the office and did mechanical drafting for the later part of his career, working for McBride Mechanical and Independent Sheet Metal. He retired in 1993 after a lengthy career.
Bob was an active member of the St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church in Wayne for fifty years and recently received a commendation from the choir for his forty nine years of singing. When he first joined the church, he wasn’t a choir member. He would sing from his seat in the pew until finally his wife elbowed him one day and said “if you’re going to sing along, just go join the choir”, and he did. He loved his time there at the church and in the choir. There couldn’t be a more appropriate place to have his funeral. He was also a proud member of the Sons of Norway, Nor-Bu Lodge in Rockaway, NJ.
Bob loved to tell jokes and he had perfect delivery for his punch lines. Some of his favorites were told over and over, but they never got old. His grandchildren would beg him to tell jokes when they visited, but he always made sure to only tell them the age-appropriate ones! He loved to make people laugh and he has certainly left many of you with big smiles on your faces and perhaps even tears of joy streaming down your cheeks.
Above all else, he loved to golf. He played the Passaic County Golf Course so often than he probably should have had his mail sent there. Anytime that he went away on vacation, even just for a weekend away, it was a prerequisite that his clubs had to go with him. He played courses all over and always hit the fairway with his tee shot. He was very good, although he would tell you that he needed to improve his game. He was also a huge GIANTS football fan, having attended countless games since as early as 1976. Rain, wind, and snow didn’t matter – he would stay for the whole game. Tailgating at the Meadowlands was always a big part of the event too. Bob was even fortunate enough to go to Superbowl XXI in Pasadena, California, where the GIANTS beat the BRONCOS. He will surely be rooting from up above for them to win the Superbowl once again this year.
Bob is survived by his beloved wife of fifty seven years, Peggy of Totowa, his three sons: Thomas and his wife Roberta of Florida, Paul and his wife Lisa of Basking Ridge, NJ and Andrew and his wife Jacqueline of Cary, NC, seven grandchildren: Erika, Dustin, Thomas Jr., Jeffrey, Brett, Casey, and Christian, 1 step-grandchild; Catherine Clifford, as well as many more loving in-laws, nieces, nephews and dear friends who will all miss him dearly.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Bob’s memory to St. Timothy’s Church, 395 Valley Road, Wayne, NJ 07470 would be greatly appreciated.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Friday, January 6, 2012 from 4-8 PM. Funeral Services will be held at St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church, 395 Valley Road, Wayne at 11 AM on Saturday, January 7.
January 1, 2012
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Friday, January 6, 2012 from 4-8 PM. Funeral Services will be held at St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church, 395 Valley Road, Wayne at 11 AM on Saturday, January 7.
Robert Thomas W. Gerding, age 79 of Totowa, died on Sunday, January 1, 2012. He has been a Totowa resident since 1959.
Bob grew up in Union City, New Jersey and graduated from Emerson High School with the class of 1952. He had been in the Navy reserves during high school and upon graduation, the U.S. Army sent him a draft notice. He wasn’t excited about having to join the Army, so he went to his Navy superior with the news and they put him on active duty with the Navy. He enjoyed his time in the service and was discharged in 1956.
In 1954, while on leave from the Navy, Bob married his high school sweetheart, Peggy Udland, on September 11, 1954. They took a bus to “Honeymoon Haven” in Dingman’s Ferry, Pennsylvania for their honeymoon. They celebrated their 57th anniversary this past September and have enjoyed many loving years together. Family was very important to Bob and made many happy memories with all of them over the years. Summer vacations at Cazenovia Lake in New York State, and at their friend’s dairy farm in Caroline, NY, where they worked all week; milking the cows, stacking the hay bales and driving the tractors. They were exhausted by weeks-end, but it never seemed like work to them; it was too much fun. They also enjoyed a family reunion every year since 1989 and sometimes had more than fifty people in attendance. He had been on several cruises and visited Alaska and Norway over the years.
Bob began his professional career even before going off to the Navy, working in a machine shop in Hoboken. In his early 20’s, he was fortunate enough to get an apprentice position with the local sheet metal union, which eventually became Local 25. He worked his way up the ranks and went to school where he received his draftsman’s certificate. With that certificate in hand, he moved from the shop to the office and did mechanical drafting for the later part of his career, working for McBride Mechanical and Independent Sheet Metal. He retired in 1993 after a lengthy career.
Bob was an active member of the St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church in Wayne for fifty years and recently received a commendation from the choir for his forty nine years of singing. When he first joined the church, he wasn’t a choir member. He would sing from his seat in the pew until finally his wife elbowed him one day and said “if you’re going to sing along, just go join the choir”, and he did. He loved his time there at the church and in the choir. There couldn’t be a more appropriate place to have his funeral. He was also a proud member of the Sons of Norway, Nor-Bu Lodge in Rockaway, NJ.
Bob loved to tell jokes and he had perfect delivery for his punch lines. Some of his favorites were told over and over, but they never got old. His grandchildren would beg him to tell jokes when they visited, but he always made sure to only tell them the age-appropriate ones! He loved to make people laugh and he has certainly left many of you with big smiles on your faces and perhaps even tears of joy streaming down your cheeks.
Above all else, he loved to golf. He played the Passaic County Golf Course so often than he probably should have had his mail sent there. Anytime that he went away on vacation, even just for a weekend away, it was a prerequisite that his clubs had to go with him. He played courses all over and always hit the fairway with his tee shot. He was very good, although he would tell you that he needed to improve his game. He was also a huge GIANTS football fan, having attended countless games since as early as 1976. Rain, wind, and snow didn’t matter – he would stay for the whole game. Tailgating at the Meadowlands was always a big part of the event too. Bob was even fortunate enough to go to Superbowl XXI in Pasadena, California, where the GIANTS beat the BRONCOS. He will surely be rooting from up above for them to win the Superbowl once again this year.
Bob is survived by his beloved wife of fifty seven years, Peggy of Totowa, his three sons: Thomas and his wife Roberta of Florida, Paul and his wife Lisa of Basking Ridge, NJ and Andrew and his wife Jacqueline of Cary, NC, seven grandchildren: Erika, Dustin, Thomas Jr., Jeffrey, Brett, Casey, and Christian, 1 step-grandchild; Catherine Clifford, as well as many more loving in-laws, nieces, nephews and dear friends who will all miss him dearly.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Bob’s memory to St. Timothy’s Church, 395 Valley Road, Wayne, NJ 07470 would be greatly appreciated.
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