Geraldine M. Jack

Visitation:
Friday, March 8, 20192:00-4:00 & 7:00-9:00 PMWerner-Rothwell Funeral Home
60 Mill Road
Westhampton Beach, NY

Funeral Service:
Saturday, March 9, 2019 at 10:00 AMChurch of The Immaculate Conception
Main StreetWesthampton Beach, NY Internment:
Oakwood Cemetery
East Quogue, NY

Born: December 4, 1941 Died: February 28, 2019 Age: 77

Geraldine M. Jack (77) of East Quogue, died peacefully on February 28, 2019. Born on December 4, 1941 to Joseph and Nellie Tumminia, in Jamestown, NY. After high school, she attended the WCA (Women's Christian Association) Hospital School of Nursing, and would become one of only 799 women to complete their nursing certification program (1885-1965). She then relocated herself to NYC and began her career working as a psychiatric nurse at Mount Sinai Hospital and later became clinical director at The Sisters of Good Shepherd Residence for Teenage Girls, in Lower Manhattan. Acting as both a counselor and nurse practitioner, she became very interested in working with children and their families and would go on to spend the rest of her career working for the NYS Dept of Health as a Public Health Nurse. She spent her time out in the community, visiting with families in their homes, evaluating health concerns and helping to provide assistance to underserved children throughout the city, who were struggling with mental and physical health issues.

Geraldine was a fighter, a defender, a learner and a teacher. Having survived cancer a number of different times throughout her lifetime, she proved to be the definition of a true warrior. At a time in her life when many other women would have started to settle down at home, with the support of her wonderful husband Tom, she continued to work hard in her field. During her tenure as a public health nurse, she went on to earn both a B.S. in Nursing (1979) and a M.S. in Nursing (1996) graduating with honors from the Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing, focusing her study on Autism and how it impacts children and their families. It was during this time that she would also be appointed by Governor Hugh Carey, to sit on the NYS Council on Developmental Disabilities.

Upon retirement, she and Tom, relocated to Cambridge MA where she became an Ad Hoc Instructor in Nursing, at the Massachusetts General Hospital School for Health Professionals. It wasn't until 2004 that they finally relocated out to East Quogue, full-time. Living in the home which was originally purchased by Mr. Jack's parents as a summer home back in the 1950s.

Most recently, she had been working as a volunteer with Birthright International and was a long-time member and recent co-chairperson of the East Quogue Citizens Advisory Committee. She continued to advocate for the health of children in her community, speaking out in support of natural resources and clean drinking water.

She is survived by her husband of 52 years, Thomas, and their two rescued cats, Aaron and Fluffy. She is also survived by an older brother, James Tumminia of Jamestown, NY and his three daughters: Debra Kerrison (Lockport, NY), Cheryl Eckler (Fisher, IN) and Natalie Peters (Eldersburg, MD).

Visitation will take place on Friday March 8, 2019 from 2-4 and 7-9 at the Werner-Rothwell Funeral Home, 60 Mill Road, Westhampton Beach, NY. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10am on Saturday March 9th at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 580 Main Street, Westhampton Beach, NY with burial to follow at the Oakwood Cemetery in East Quogue.

Donations in her memory can be made to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.