Gail D. Pressimone of Wantage passed away Aug. 4, 2025. She was 81.
She was born Dec. 1, 1943, in Jersey City and grew up in Lyndhurst and Oakland. In 1967, she moved to Vernon, where she raised her family and lived for nearly 30 years.
Gail worked at TST in Hamburg and later at Project Self-Sufficiency (PSS) in Newton. She served as PSS’s revered bookkeeper for more than a decade until her retirement in June 2007.
Gail met her husband, Mitch, through a bowling league in Warwick, N.Y.
In 1995, Gail and Mitch moved into their home in Wantage. Here, she had her sewing room, where she constantly quilted, counted-cross-stitched and needlepointed.
Gail’s caring spirit and positivity extended well into the community. She was instrumental in Sussex County’s branch of Quilts of Valor (QOV), helping organize quilt donations to military veterans and servicemen and women, as well as assisting with contests run by the Creative Arts for Home and Hobby (CAHH) division during the New Jersey State Fair each August
Gail’s legacy is the kindness, perseverance and optimism that she embodied. Her typical sign-off was “hugs and kisses” from a phone call or visit or copious “XOXOXOs” on the cards she mailed for every birthday and holiday.
When asked how she was doing - no matter the adversity at hand, her response was a buoyant “I’m hanging in there!” or “This too shall pass!”
Gail was a model of resilience and truly lived by her favorite saying, which is the same wisdom she always offered to her loved ones: “Que será, será.” It is what it is; whatever will be, will be.
Gail was predeceased by her parents, Harold William Rudolph and Doris Isabel Rudolph, and husband, Bruce “Mitch” Mitchell.
She is survived by her children and grandchildren, whom she loved tremendously: daughter Denise Lange and her husband, Rob; daughter Doreen; son, John, and his wife, Sandra; and eight grandchildren, Brian, Sean, Nicole, Sareena, Mia, Cristina, Adrianna and Gianna.
Gail’s memory also lives on with her beloved friends, including Lois Wright, her Vernon neighbor and friend of more than 50 years; her Mt. Salem Road neighbors; and her numerous friends from QOV and CAHH. In their words, which her family was blessed to hear innumerable times, Gail was “a special lady.” She will be dearly missed.
A combined Celebration of Life for Gail and Mitch will be held Sunday, Aug. 10 from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Lamp Post Inn in Sussex.
Donations in Gail’s honor may be made to QOV or PSS.
For QOV, go online to qovf.org and choose “Donate,” “Donate to a Local Group,” “Find Group,” then enter Account ID ‘11245’ (Sussex County Quilters). Checks may be mailed to Quilts of Valor, c/o Carol Johnson, 12 Grandway Terrace, Stockholm, NJ 07460.
For PSS, go to projectselfsufficiency.org and select any category under “Make a Donation.” Checks may be mailed to Project Self-Sufficiency c/o Deborah Berry-Toon, 127 Mill St., Newton, NJ, 07860.