Obituary of Grace E. Gildersleeve

Grace Elizabeth Gildersleeve, 95, passed away on Thursday December 31, 2020 at her residence in Monroe Township.  Grace was born on October 22, 1925 in Brooklyn to parents Francis and Mary Nardo.  She grew up in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, marrying her husband Stephen there on July 17,1965.  They lived in Jackson Heights, Queens.  After the birth of her 2 sons, she moved to Monroe Township in 1969, residing in the same house for the following 51 years.  Grace was a proud alumna of St. John’s University (Go Red Storm), graduating with a degree in accounting and continuing her education with post grad work at NYU.  She worked for Sperry Rand in Long Island until the arrival of her first child.  She later worked in Logistics at Block Drug in Dayton until her retirement in 1996.  Grace was a devout parishioner of Immaculate Conception Church in Spotswood where she was a member of the Rosary Society and taught CCD for many years.  She volunteered for various charities, including but not limited to the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities.  Grace was a voracious reader and crossword enthusiast who loved to travel with her husband, highlighted by excursions to Ireland and California.    

Grace was preceded in death by her husband, Stephen Gildersleeve (2005). 

She is survived by her son Joseph Gildersleeve and his wife Cindy, and her son Stephen Gildersleeve, along with three siblings: Bill Prager, Joyce Lamb and Thomasine Morrison. 

Visitation will be 8:30-10:30 am on Wednesday January 6, 2021 at the M. David DeMarco Funeral Home, Inc. – 205 Rhode Hall Rd., Monroe Twp., NJ  08831.  A funeral liturgy will be 11:00 am at St. James the Less RC Church – 36 Lincoln Ave., Jamesburg, NJ  08831 followed by entombment in Holy Cross Burial Park Mausoleum.  For those who are unable to attend, the mass will be live-streamed and can be accessed at www.stjamesthelesschurch.org under Mass-Live Stream.    

In lieu of flowers and for those who desire, memorial contributions may be made in Grace’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (alzfdn.org)