Obituary for Diane B. Gruber (Bertini)
Diane B. Gruber passed away on Sunday, September 17 peacefully at home with her family by her side. The daughter of Michele and Nella DalCollo Bertini and sister of Cynthia Bertini Richmond, Diane was married for 64 years to her high school sweetheart Charles.
She is survived by her devoted children Caryn and her husband Arthur; Judi and her husband Jim; and Chuck and his wife Lizzie. Also surviving are her eight loving grandchildren Katie and her husband Nick; Chuck; Tom and his wife Sarah; Teresa and her husband Peter; Keith and his wife Kairee; Dan; Susan and her husband Zach; and Pia, as well as her five precious great-granddaughters Emilie, Giovanna, Chloe, Jessica, and Ava.
Diane grew up on 7th Street in North Bergen, NJ, graduating from Emerson High school in 1952. She worked briefly in New York City before starting her family. Diane, Charles, and their three children lived for a time in Dayton, Ohio, where Charles was stationed with the Air Force, and subsequently moved to Nutley, NJ, where they remained for 50 years. Diane loved to travel, and in 1965 Charles’s job moved the family to Germany for a year, allowing them to experience living and traveling in Europe. As her children grew older, Diane returned to the workforce. Her dedication and leadership saw her promoted to Branch Manager at Security National Bank in Nutley for the remainder of her career. Upon retirement, she volunteered at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair, NJ, serving as president of the Auxiliary.
Diane was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Together with Charles, she was the center of a loving family who remains inspired by her generosity, kindness of spirit, and indomitable sense of style. She encouraged her family to maintain her Italian heritage, especially around food—cooking and sharing traditional family dinners and desserts, including homemade ravioli and struffoli. She was also an esteemed and active member of her community, participating in volunteer and social organizations, including the Red Hat Society. An enthusiastic card player, Diane started playing at a young age with her father and regularly beat her family members at favorite games like 500 Rummy and Five Crowns. She was also a member of a Nutley bridge group for more than 50 years and was always up for an informal game with friends.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Feeding America (https://www.feedingamerica.org or 161 North Clark Street, Suite 700 Chicago, IL 60601).
The Funeral mass will be celebrated at St. Philip the Apostle Church, Clifton at 11am on Friday, September 22, 2023. Interment will follow at Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Montclair.
Visitors will be received at the SW Brown Son Funeral Home, 267 Centre St., Nutley, on Thursday, September 21st from 4 – 7pm.
She is survived by her devoted children Caryn and her husband Arthur; Judi and her husband Jim; and Chuck and his wife Lizzie. Also surviving are her eight loving grandchildren Katie and her husband Nick; Chuck; Tom and his wife Sarah; Teresa and her husband Peter; Keith and his wife Kairee; Dan; Susan and her husband Zach; and Pia, as well as her five precious great-granddaughters Emilie, Giovanna, Chloe, Jessica, and Ava.
Diane grew up on 7th Street in North Bergen, NJ, graduating from Emerson High school in 1952. She worked briefly in New York City before starting her family. Diane, Charles, and their three children lived for a time in Dayton, Ohio, where Charles was stationed with the Air Force, and subsequently moved to Nutley, NJ, where they remained for 50 years. Diane loved to travel, and in 1965 Charles’s job moved the family to Germany for a year, allowing them to experience living and traveling in Europe. As her children grew older, Diane returned to the workforce. Her dedication and leadership saw her promoted to Branch Manager at Security National Bank in Nutley for the remainder of her career. Upon retirement, she volunteered at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair, NJ, serving as president of the Auxiliary.
Diane was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Together with Charles, she was the center of a loving family who remains inspired by her generosity, kindness of spirit, and indomitable sense of style. She encouraged her family to maintain her Italian heritage, especially around food—cooking and sharing traditional family dinners and desserts, including homemade ravioli and struffoli. She was also an esteemed and active member of her community, participating in volunteer and social organizations, including the Red Hat Society. An enthusiastic card player, Diane started playing at a young age with her father and regularly beat her family members at favorite games like 500 Rummy and Five Crowns. She was also a member of a Nutley bridge group for more than 50 years and was always up for an informal game with friends.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Feeding America (https://www.feedingamerica.org or 161 North Clark Street, Suite 700 Chicago, IL 60601).
The Funeral mass will be celebrated at St. Philip the Apostle Church, Clifton at 11am on Friday, September 22, 2023. Interment will follow at Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Montclair.
Visitors will be received at the SW Brown Son Funeral Home, 267 Centre St., Nutley, on Thursday, September 21st from 4 – 7pm.