Mrs. Gertrude Billbrough

Gertrude Helena (Devonshire) Billbrough, 84, passed away quietly and peacefully in her beloved Clarksboro home surrounded by loved ones on June 9th. Born in the Great Depression, the Good Lord broke the mold the day she arrived on this earth, never to be used again. Daughter of James F. Devonshire and Carrie E. Sullivan, she was raised with her dearest brothers and sisters James, Virginia, Jeanette, and Herb, and was the last surviving member of that distinguished Carney’s Point clan. After graduation from Penns Grove H.S., she tried her hand at nursing studies at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore, MD, until either homesickness or the Sisters caused her to return to South Jersey. Gertie, as she was known to her friends, was a renaissance woman – that is to say, she held a number of different jobs, had a great variety of different interests, and lived a life full of marvelous contrasts. She began her work career in the labs at E. I. Dupont; she held sales and supervisory positions with retailer W. T. Grant; and she worked in the operations department of First Fidelity Bank of Woodbury until her retirement in 1993. It is said that a renaissance person knows a little bit about everything. That was not true in Gertie’s case – she knew everything about everything. Full of opinions, which to her were fact, she shared them early and often. She could talk to you or at you about anything from politics, like the failings of the Nixon presidency or her disappointment in the performance of President Obama (even though he had sent her a birthday card), to subjects like sports, such as the pathetic play of the Phillies and the shortcomings of Andy Reid, Donovan McNabb, and the Eagles. Her friends will always remember Gertie as the life of the party. She could tell many a story about all the fun she had. She was a devoted fan of the Martini and Old Fashioned. Her commitment to a good time did not end as she grew in age – quite the contrary. She loved to shop for a bargain with friends and then spend the savings on a good lunch together. An invitation to Gertie assured you that your party, wedding, or other get together would be an exciting, entertaining time. Gertie lived in her Clarksboro home for 56 years. She loved to work in her yard caring for her plants and flowers, much preferring it to cooking and cleaning. She was an active member of her community, serving on the Gloucester County Elections Board and on the East Greenwich Board of Health and its Planning Board. She was a member of her town’s Democrat Club. Indeed, it is safe to say that she never voted for a single Republican running for any local, state, or Federal elective office. Ever. Like all renaissance women, she was a woman of great faith. As a parishioner at Church of the Incarnation in Mantua for over 50 years, she saw the church grow from its small beginnings to its large size today. Regardless of the church building attended, she always elected to sit in the back rows for Mass. Notwithstanding that great faith, in her last days, after receiving the last sacraments, Father observed she still had a bit of the devil left in her. Which she did! Her true life’s passion was her family. On her own, in the smallest of houses, and as a working mother, she successfully raised her four beloved children, Bart (Patti) of Miami, FL.; Carrie E. Hoffman of Pitman; Jaymie (Steve) Goodman of Haddon Heights; and Timothy of Brigantine. In her later years, she drew even greater joy from the blessings of her grandchildren, Logan and Devin Billbrough of Miami, Fl.; Caroline Hoffman of Pitman; and Spencer Goodman of Haddon Heights. She loved the trips she took with her family to the plush green landscapes of Ireland, to the coast of California, to Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod, to the familiar sands of the Jersey Shore, and a cruise to Caribbean. In her last days, she went on and on about how good her family had been to her, but it was she who had been so good to us. There will never be another like her. Gertie was a person of immense strength, which flowed from a combination of toughness, bigheartedness, and love. She was loyal to a fault, which to her was no fault at all. If you were a friend of hers, you were a friend forever. But most of all, Gertie was fun. She was one-of-a-kind. It was hard to take a picture of her that did not capture her zest for life. From the outside, it may have appeared she had it tough, but Gertie thought otherwise. Even in her last days, as illness sapped all her strength, she could still muster enough energy to tell us all about how much fun it had been and how she enjoyed the good times had over her 84 special years. She stated how much she wanted to die as her mother had, quietly and peacefully, in her own home. And, as always, she did exactly as she wanted. A Memorial Mass will be held at 11 AM Friday June 13, 2014 in the Church of the Incarnation, 240 Main St., Mantua. Visitation of family will take place beginning at 9:30 am prior to the Mass. Burial Eglington Cemetery, Clarksboro. Arrangements by McBride Foley Funeral Home, Paulsboro. Contributions can be made in her memory to the American Cancer Society, 1851 Old Cuthbert Blvd., Cherry Hill, NJ 08034. Memories can be shared at www.mcbridefoleyfh.com.

Mrs. Gertrude Billbrough

September 5, 1929 - June 9, 2014