Martha Gerardi Obituary
After raising her 6 children, and going through divorce, Martha reinvented herself. She went on to work at Howard Johnson, then bought a hot dog stand and worked diligently 12 hours every day to succeed, finally ending as the head vacuum sales rep at Marshall Fields. Above all, she loved her family, her church and all people. She expressed her love through her food and made sure everyone she met was fed and loved. She was deeply loved and will be dearly missed.
Beloved mother to the late Angeline, Mary Ann (the late Rusel) Green, Joseph (Ludy), Lori (Chris) Brand, Chris and Jimmy (Gina); further survived by her 14 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren; and preceded in death by her former husband, and lifelong companion, Joseph "Bobo" Gerardi.
Visitation will be held on Monday, October 6, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 893 North Church Road, Elmhurst, until the time of the Funeral Service at 10:30 a.m. Interment will follow at Arlington Cemetery, Elmhurst.
Arrangements in care of Pedersen Ryberg Funeral Home. For information (630) 834 – 1133.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Martha, please visit our floral store.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
1 Entry
Frank Matarrese
October 21, 2025
From the Matarrese Family:
We were deeply saddened to hear of Martha´s passing. She was a wonderful friend to our mother and a beloved part of our childhood at the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church. We remember Martha´s bright smile, her kindness, and the way she called everyone "Babe." Martha had a gift for making every person feel welcomed and loved-often through her amazing Greek/Italian cooking and her generous heart.
Martha taught us much more than Sunday school lessons; she showed us by example how to live with faith, humor, and compassion. We´ll never forget her warmth or the joy she brought into every room.
May her memory be eternal.
Anthony, Frank and Anastasia on behalf of the Matarrese family
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