Obituary of Geraldine Estelle Reuss

Geraldine Estelle Reuss, 95, of Landing NJ, passed on to the next life to be with God on September 27, 2008 after a long battle against the infirmities of age. Born January 29, 1913 in Chicago Illinois, she was the daughter of the late John and Florence (Mundy) Freese. She was the oldest and the last survivor of eight brothers and sisters. She was a 1929 graduate of Lyndhurst High School in NJ, which she completed in three and a half years. She had only just turned 17 at the time of her graduation because she had skipped two of the elementary grades. Geraldine attended NYU and was employed by Title Guarantee and Trust Co. in NYC but left her employment to be married to the late William P. Reuss, Sr. on June 22, 1935 and to become a mother and homemaker. During her husband's service as a Major in the US Army for 5 years during WWII, she handled the household moves around military bases while caring for her children. The war caused her to move from NJ to military bases at Baltimore MD, then to Jackson MS and onto Pomona CA where her husband was deployed overseas. When he returned to the States, she packed up her belongings and her children and moved to greet him at a base in Tyler TX. Thereafter the family moved back to Baltimore and when military service was over, the family moved home to NJ. When her husband resumed his career in civilian life as a banker in New York City, Geraldine became very active in civic, church and school affairs. She was the founder and president of the P.T.A. of the Weehawken NJ schools and an officer in both the county and state P.T.A. organizations. She served in various capacities in her church as well as the local board of elections. Geraldine was very active in the Masons with her husband and The Eastern Star rising to become a Worthy Matron. At her death she was an active member of The Church of the Messiah Episcopal Church in Chester. Survivors include a daughter Marilyn A. (Reuss) Ammiano, wife of the late Samuel Ammiano of Hopatcong; a son William P. Reuss, Jr., husband of Janet W. Reuss of Hilton Head SC ( her oldest daughter, Geraldine E. (Reuss) DeGeorges, predeceased her in 1972); 9 grandchildren: James DeGeorges, Jon DeGeorges, Steven Ammiano, David Ammiano, Thomas Ammiano, Laureen (Ammiano) Squires, Eileen Ammiano, Kimberly P. Reuss and William P. Reuss III; 11 great-grandchildren: Gabriella, Sabella, Eryn, Christian, Jillian, Chloe, Shane, Cecilia, Caleb, Hannah and Natalie. She is also survived by 15 nieces and nephews. Funeral services are being arranged by Leber-Lakeside Funeral Home, 150 Landing Road. Landing (973-398-3000). Please call the funeral home for date and time of visiting and service