Catherine Gros

Catherine Gros, 99, died peacefully on January 30, 2024.

Born in The Bronx, New York, to the late Harry and Catherine Bertini, nee Croce, she was raised in Jamaica, Queens. Catherine was a graduate of Jamaica High School, and earned admission into college. When World War II brought an opportunity on the home front, Catherine decided to accept a secretarial job instead. She met the love of her life, Robert Gros when he returned home from serving his country, and the two were married in 194 7. As members of the Greatest Generation, Bob and Catherine settled on Long Island where they raised their family. They resided in Massapequa Park before moving to Islip in 1969. Inspired by the faithful upbringing of her own parents, Catherine was a devout Catholic who cherished her role as a wife and mother.

In 1978, they moved to Montclair before settling in Closter, New Jersey. Once their children were grown, they enjoyed attending daily Mass together, a practice which Catherine continued throughout the rest of her life. Catherine and Bob spent their later years taking cruises, snow birding to their home in Coconut Creek, Florida, and using their time-share to take trips around the country with their children and grandchildren. Catherine had wide ranging creative interests which included her needlework and stained glass pieces, found today in many of her family's homes. Her sewing machine ran actively for many many years producing clothing, household furnishings, and even dolls for her grandchildren. She found great joy in becoming a grandmother and continued to support and delight in her family even further as a new generation of great-grandchildren, her "little people," came into her life.

While strongly centered on her own family, Catherine's longest and most abiding earthly interest outside the home was her support for expectant mothers and unborn babies with her prayers, letters, and contributions to pro-life organizations and her attendance multiple times at the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C.

In her passing, Catherine's greatest legacy is her unfailing and fervent faith in God, and the ways in which that faith formed her into the loving matriarch of a large and growing family tree.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Robert Gros, Sr., her sisters Maria, Reginia, and Natalie, her grandson, Matthew, Jr., and her great-granddaughter, Lilah.

Surviving are her loving children, Catherine Mary Williams and husband Art, Robert Gros, Jr., and wife Joan, Jessica Purver and husband Doug, Matthew Gros and wife Linda, and Cecilia Cullen and husband Tim, her cherished grandchildren Chris (Antje), Andy (Addie), Gina, Judy (Dennis), Linda (Nick), Jessica (Jeff), Douglas (Joy), Carolyn (Mike), Catherine (Pete), Vickie (Rick), Monica (Jason), Timmy (Rebecca), Olivia (Thomas), her adored great-grandchildren Henrik, Lucy, Theo, DJ, Julia, Nick, Jr., Lucas, Benny, Lizzy, Hunter, Ayden, Hazel, Cora, Sophie, Robbie, Ray, Annie, JJ, Owen, Joey, Faith, Stella, Cecilia, Tommy, and Rosemary.

Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 PM on Monday, February 5, 2024, at Cusick Funeral Home, 80 Mountain Avenue, Somerville.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00AM on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, at The Church of The Immaculate Conception, 35 Mountain Avenue, Somerville.

Interment will follow at St. Charles Cemetery, Farmingdale, Long Island, New York.

Donations in lieu of flowers are suggested to Preborn Ministries, Donate Online , and to Good Counsel Homes, Donate Online .