Gertrude Justine (Hermanek) Malysa

Gertrude Justine Malysa, 89, of Piscataway, NJ passed away on Thursday, December 20, 2018 at Gnaden Huetten Memorial Hospital in Lehighton, PA. Gertrude was living with her daughter, Diane and her family in Kunkletown, PA for the last six years before having to reside at Mahoning Valley Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center in Lehighton, PA for the last 2-1/2 years due to medical disabilities.

Born in Vienna, Austria on October 28, 1929, she was the daughter of Adolf Hermanek and Mathilde (Barbenec) Hermanek. Gertrude had one sister, the late Adolfine (Hermanek) Jirku and one brother, the late Walter Hermanek.

Gertrude was a World War II survivor. She traveled to England after the war to work in the cotton mills. While in England she met her late husband, Richard S. Malysa. They married and later moved to Canada, where they had their two sons Richard and Norbert. Wanting to make a better life for themselves they moved to the United States. They bought a house in Piscataway and had their two daughters, Diane and Debbie. Richard and Gertrude were blessed to be able to celebrate 60 years of marriage on March 17, 2011.

Gertrude worked for Shop Rite Foodarama for 38 years in the Meat Department.  She worked in many different locations, Plainfield, Somerville, Hazlet, Sayreville, Edison, and Piscataway. She made many friends and the customers loved her. Gertrude was known for the stories she would share about her experiences during the war. Many said she should write a book. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend. She will be missed by all that knew her.

She is survived by her four children, Richard H. Malysa and his wife, Maria of New Jersey, Norbert W. Malysa and his wife, Lis of New Jersey, Diane A. (Malysa) Leitch and her husband, Jim of Pennsylvania, and Debbie R. (Malysa) Bonanni and her husband, Paul of North Carolina. Gertrude had seven grandchildren, Richard H. Malysa Jr. and his wife Becky of New Jersey, Justine (Malysa) Johnson and her husband, Desmond of California, Nicholas Malysa of California, Danielle Malysa of New Jersey, Samantha and Alexandria Leitch of Pennsylvania, Christopher Bonanni of North Carolina. Gertrude had three great grandchildren, Dylan Malysa of New Jersey, McKenzie and Reed Johnson of California.

There will be a visitation on Wednesday, December 26th from 2-4 & 6-8PM at the Sheenan Funeral Home, 233 Dunellen Ave., Dunellen. A Funeral Mass will take place on Thursday, December 27th at 10:30AM at Our Lady of Fatima, Church, Piscataway. Internment to follow at Resurrection Burial Park, Piscataway.  

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