Obituary of John Gerega

John Gerega, aged 97, has been called to make his final journey. He was called home peacefully on April 10. He was a man who lived a very interesting life. He proudly served our country during WWII, spending most of the time in Italy supplying communications and power to the Allied Forces. After the Army (1946), he married Justina Grofik and went on to have one child they named Gail. He was a brilliant man who helped invent the transistor among other things during his time at Bell Laboratories. Being a shy and kind man, he gave all his attention to his family. After being widowed at a fairly young age, he spent his life enjoying his grandchildren Alyson Deutsch Horstman and Matthew Deutsch; taking multiple vacations and day trips. It was not unusual for him to join his family on an unplanned road trip, just for the fun of it. One of his greatest loves was cruising with Royal Caribbean and even getting permission to sit in the Captain's chair! He owned his own boat for a while and loved to be on the water. John leaves behind his only child Gail Gerega Hughes and grandchildren Alyson Horstmam (husband Danny) and Matthew Deutsch (wife Melissa.) In addition, he leaves behind great-grandchildren Dani, Aidan and Maisie. John was predeceased by both parents (Michael and Pauline) and a sister Anna Semkow. He also leaves behind nephew Dennis and niece Marlene and their respective children. John will be sorely missed by all who knew him. Interment will be held at Maplewood Cemetery in Freehold, NJ. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in his name to Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, 14 Pennsylvania Plaza, Suite 2110, New York, NY 10122 US