Gunthilde Erna Meta Rettig

Rettig, Gunthilde Erna Meta (née Stock)

September 26, 2025

passed away peacefully on September 26, 2025. She is survived by her husband, Anton; their children Margret Courtney (Frank), Michael Rettig (Cathleen, Mabry), and Virginia Rettig; and her dearest cousin Monika Bremer. Gundi was born in Neuhaus, Germany (Silesia) on June 29, 1939. Her family fled the area in 1945 to go west as the influence of the Soviet Union rose at the end of World War II. She met her future husband, Tony, at the Schützenfest in 1955 when she was 16. He moved to the United States and was drafted to the U.S. Army but was assigned to serve in Germany! After many letters to each other, they married on March 1, 1961. Gundi immigrated to the United States pregnant with their first child. Gundi's children were her pride and joy, and she encouraged all to follow their dreams: Margret with her art, Michael with his music, and Virginia with her nature adventures. Gundi's love of cooking and baking ensured excellent home-cooked food was on the table every night. She loved having people over and serving wonderful desserts on fine china. After raising the kids, she provided daycare for a loving family in Amherst for 10 years, whose 3 children she "helped raise." She adored Joshua, Courtney, and Hillary and considered herself a mother of 6. She also worked at Omi's Market – a popular lunch-time restaurant on the Erie Canal – which allowed her to cook and meet new people. She and Tony resided in Buffalo, NY for 13 years and in North Tonawanda, NY for 44 years before moving to Cape May, NJ in 2018. Gundi was the love of Tony's life for 64 years. Their favorite daily ritual was having "Kaffee und Kuchen." She loved being near the water, the Cape May sunshine, and the sound of returning Laughing Gulls on Delaware Bay each spring. We love you deeply Gundi – our wife, mother, Tante, friend – and we will miss your beautiful soul forever. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in honor of Gundi to the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey (https://conservewildlifenj.org/) and the Sjogren's Foundation (https://sjogrens.org/) because she was diagnosed with the disease over 40 years ago when very few doctors knew how to deal with its many varied symptoms. Yet, she persevered. Condolences at www.radzieta.com