Geraldine Mae Polillo, 85, passed away at her home in Wildwood, NJ on July

30, 2025. Our family takes great comfort in knowing she is at peace and

finally reunited with her husband, John Polillo, who passed away in 1986.

Gerri was born on January 31,1940 in Pittman, NJ and lived in Cape May

County for most of her life, graduating from Cape May High School in 1959.

She was a devoted, loving, and selfless mother who would do anything for

her children. She always cared about the welfare of others and treated

people with understanding and empathy and forgave easily. She treasured

her family and was extremely close with her sisters, Elaine Kalbach and

Shirley Cornwell, whom she would speak with almost daily. Gerri had great

strength of body, mind, and spirit. She lived very simply and did not care

about material things. She had tremendous wisdom and understood what is

truly important in life. She had a special place in her heart for animals and

cared for many homeless cats over the years and was best friend to her

son’s dogs, Buddy and Chip, whom she would regularly walk and spoil with

treats. Gerri was musically gifted and could play the piano without having

had any lessons, a gift passed down from her mother, who could play the

piano and violin by ear, and later passed on to her son, who plays the

saxophone. She enjoyed playing Yahtzee, Pinochle, and Mexican Train

Dominoes with her family. She had a wonderful sense of humor. When

together with family, hysterical fits of contagious laughter often would

spontaneously occur. She was a sharp-witted person and a master of words

and grammar and had no problem correcting family members. She enjoyed

reading and watching movies and the show, “Pitbulls and Parolees.” She had

an incredible work ethic, which she gained from working the fields with her

family as a child on their farm in Mullica Hill, NJ. Among the crops grown were

tomatoes for the Campbells Soup Company. She worked as a waitress at the

original Golden Inn in Avalon, NJ. Her final job was at the Coast Guard

Training Center in Cape May, NJ, where she was "grandma" to many recruits,

offering kind words and hugs. At graduation, many recruits would eagerly

search for her to give her gifts and introduce her to their families. Gerri was

tremendously loved by her family, and our hearts are overwhelmed with

sorrow.

         She is survived by her cherished children, Rita McKelvey and John

McKelvey (Terrell); beloved sisters, Elaine Kalbach and Shirley Cornwell;

dearly loved grandchildren, John McKelvey (Channing) and Andrew McKelvey

(Jamie); great grandchildren, Shae, Emilia, Jack, and Claire; nieces and

nephews, Cathy Kalbach, Bill Kalbach (Christine), Geoffrey Small, John

Cornwell (Pat), and April Scardigno (Nick) and many other beloved family

members. She was predeceased by her parents, Mae F. Locke and Joseph

Locke; her husband, John Polillo; nieces Margie Piro, Shirley Ann Velozo, and ​

Norma Small and many other dearly departed relatives. Funeral services will

take place on August 6 with visitation from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.,

followed by a service at 11:00 a.m. at Ingersoll-Greenwood Funeral Home,

1201 Central Avenue, North Wildwood, NJ. In lieu of flowers, please send a

donation in Gerri’s memory to Villalobos Rescue Center, P.O. Box 39,

Napoleonville, LA 70390.  Condolences at ingersollgreenwoodfh.com

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