Gilda Gittleman, of Lawrenceville, passed away on Thursday, March 20, 2025 at the age of 98.
She was born Gilda Scheyer and raised in the East New York section of Brooklyn, NY. Gilda was introduced to her future husband, Jonathan, at the age of fourteen, by her cousin, Joel Dretel, in Verona, NJ. Gilda received her bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College. After Gilda and her sweetheart, Jonathan, got married the couple moved to New Brunswick, NJ, and later moved to Pennsylvania for a few years, until finally settling in Lawrenceville to raise their three sons Ron, Dean, and Neal.
When their youngest son was in school, Gilda went to Trenton State Teachers College to attain certification to become a teacher of the deaf. She taught at the Marie Katzenbach School for the Deaf for 28 years. She was highly regarded during her teaching career and upon Gilda’s retirement, a tree was planted at the school in her honor. She remained in touch with several of her colleagues from the school until her final days.
Gilda was a member of Adath Israel Congregation in Lawrenceville, NJ, a member of the Golden Age Club, and was a regular player of mah jongg.
She maintained long friendships with people from these groups, and several of them would visit with Gilda on a regular basis. Gilda loved her friends so much.
Gilda was predeceased by her husband Dr. Jonathan Gittleman in 2013 and her son Ron in 2020.
She is survived by her sons Dean and Neal, her daughters-in-law Cindy, Bunny, and Diane, several adoring grandchildren, nephews, nieces, and two great grandchildren – with a third on the way. Family was the most important thing in Gilda’s life and she always stressed to her three sons to remain close to each other after her passing.
Funeral services and burial are Sunday, March 23 at 11:30am at Washington Cemetery, 104 Deans Rhode Hall Rd, Monmouth Junction, NJ.
Memorial contributions are respectfully requested to the American Diabetes Association or the American Macular Degeneration Foundation.
Funeral arrangements are by Orland’s Ewing Memorial Chapel.
For condolences please visit OrlandsMemorialChapel.com/Gilda-Gittleman