Nellie J. Gutzeit

Lifelong Staten Island resident Nellie Gutzeit of Rosebank, a fourth-generation matriarch, passed away on Sunday, February 5, 2023, at ninety-nine years old. Born Nellie Guerrera to Joseph and Catherine Guerrera on August 29, 1923, she was raised and lived in the same house built by her father in Rosebank for her whole life. Nellie was the youngest of 5 children and graduated from St. John’s Villa Academy in 1941 before joining the war efforts at the Bayonne Navy Yard. She was a proud career woman during her youth, taking a position as a traffic clerk at the Wah Chang Corp. in Manhattan after the war.

Nellie met the love of her life, Herman Gutzeit, on a blind date set up by a friend in 1957 and swiftly tied the knot one year later on October 18, 1958. Together they had 2 children, the late Anastasia (“Stacey”) Briggs and John Gutzeit of Grasmere. Nellie and Herman celebrated 59 years of marriage together until Herman passed away in 2013.

Nellie enjoyed cooking, loved sewing and was an avid reader for all her life (she converted to reading on her iPad as she got older). She loved reading Romance novels and watching similar movies and would read several books a week. She also played in multiple bowling leagues with her husband into her 80s. Above all, she enjoyed carrying on family tradition set by her mother to bring family and friends to their home for 100 years to share great meals and celebrate life.

Surviving is her sister, Marie (Guerrera) Cavallo, her son, John, his wife Gina, her four grandchildren Jessica, Vanessa, Amanda and Eric, her great-grandson, R.J.

Family and friends will be received Friday at Martin Hughes Funeral Home in Concord from 2-4 & 7-9 pm. Mass of Christian Burial will be Saturday 10 am at St. Joseph St. Mary Immaculate RC Church in Rosebank. Committal to follow at Cemetery of the Resurrection.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Richmond University Medical Center would be greatly appreciated. To donate online, visit www.rumcsi.org/support or call (718)818-2103 or (718)818-2106.

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