Gertrude Read Massey Murphy Stratton, “Gigi,” of Red Bank and Tequesta, Florida, passed away peacefully in her home June 27, 2021, with her loving family at hand.
Gert was born in June 1925 in Brooklyn, New York, the only child of Harry Bostwick Massey and Mignon Read Massey. She was predeceased by her first husband of 25 years George W. Murphy, her second husband of 41 years Donald W. Stratton and her best friend in life Magdalene “Maggie” Senise Beetlestone.
She attended St. Angela Hall and Adelphi Academy in Brooklyn and graduated from Finch College in Manhattan.
Gert commenced her nearly 90-year friendship with her beloved Maggie whilst swinging on the awning supports of her childhood home, The Yorkshire on Clinton Avenue. They later spent countless after-school hours on the rooftops of Brooklyn comparing notes on Frank Sinatra and other teen idols of the day.
Later still, after somewhat successfully raising six sons, she became known to all as Gigi – short for Grandma Gert. Her youthful, fun-loving persona never changed, however, and she was widely known for her humor and good-spirited hijinks. She was a social and often self-deprecating character, commenting that she never sewed or knitted, spent the absolute minimum amount of time required in the kitchen, was never a scout leader or participant in the garden club, but she loved to laugh at herself and she thrived in the company of others. She actually had a pillow on her sofa that read “If you have nothing nice to say come sit by me.” Gigi loved people, animals, Bridge, golf, New York Post front-page headlines and a well-crafted cosmopolitan (no fruit).
It goes without saying that, as it was for many seniors, the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing forced isolation was an inflection point in the life of this uniquely social being and precipitated her long and unfortunate decline in health.
Gigi is survived by her six sons, George Jr., Read, David, Mark, Seth and Jed Murphy; incredible daughters-in-law Kris, Barbara, Joyce, Sylvie and Laurie; 13 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Services are private. Thompson Memorial Home of Red Bank has been entrusted with the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, Gigi requested memorial donations be directed to the Hospice Program of the Visiting Nurse Association of Central Jersey at vnahg.org or the Associated Humane Societies-NJ at ahscares.org.
The article originally appeared in the July 1 – 7, 2021 print edition of The Two River Times.
