With profound sorrow, we announce that our beloved Gail Montagna (nee Sommerville) has passed away peacefully on March 6, 2024.
Gail was born and raised in East Orange, New Jersey. She graduated from East Orange High School in 1962 and married her high school sweetheart, Albert Montagna, who predeceased her in 2002.
Together, they lived and raised a beautiful family in East Orange and Newark before settling in Verona in 1992.
Gail was a hard worker, always giving 100% to everything in her life. She forged many friendships along the way. She had a long career as a recruiter at Century Personnel. After retiring, her love of children brought to work for the YMCA Aftercare Program at F.N. Brown School in Verona until her illness.
Gail took great pride in her strong family ties, as they brought her such joy, especially her son, daughter and grandchildren. She was heartbroken by the loss of her daughter, Cheryl, in 2019 and her son-in-law, Gerald, in 2017.
An animal lover at heart, Gail always gave her many pets a warm and loving home. Her last cat, Brianna, brought her companionship and comfort in her final days.
To know Gail was to love her. The love and support from her closest friends and family, especially in the last few months, says a lot about her character as a loving mother, grandmother, aunt, cousin and friend. When Gail made friends, she kept them forever.
Never one to complain, Gail is finally at peace – may she rest in the arms of the Lord always.
Gail is survived by her loving son Albert and his wife Lynn; grandson Gerald, his wife Ana and daughter Bella (the best nurse-in-training to her great-grandmother); Stephanie and her husband Glenn; Jessica and her boyfriend Joshua; Jake and his wife Rica; and brother-in-law and sister-in-law Joseph and Denise.
They will miss her kind spirit and generous soul along with her nieces, nephews, cousins and countless friends whom she would do anything for.
Please join us in celebrating Gail’s life on Thursday, March 14, at Prout Funeral Home, Inc., 370 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona, New Jersey, 07044. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. A service in honor of Gail will be held later that evening at 7:30 p.m.
