Bertha Terranova

Bertha Terranova

February 11, 1923 ~ March 18, 2021

Bertha Terranova of Fremont Center, NY, passed away on March 18, 2021, at the age of 98.  A longtime resident of Sullivan County, she is survived by her son, Tobia F. Terranova of Fremont Center, NY, her grandson Tobia J. Terranova and wife Tova Terranova of San Diego, CA.  They are the parents of her two great-granddaughters, Paloma Terranova and Alondra Terranova of San Diego, CA.  She is also survived by her daughter Christine Terranova-Reimer of Fremont Center, NY, who was married to Craig A. Reimer (deceased) of Fremont Center, NY.  She has two granddaughters: Ashley Reimer of Philadelphia and Sabrina Reimer-Steinberg with husband Alex Steinberg of Fremont Center, NY. They are the parents of her great-grandson Chase Steinberg and great-granddaughter Tori Steinberg.

Bertha was born at home in Perth Amboy, NJ, of Polish immigrants John Grabowski and Sophie Ziomek-Grabowski.  She came from a large family of 7 brothers and sisters who predeceased her (Ann, Comm, Helen, John, Josephine, Mary, Walter).  She attended Polish Catholic School and Public High School, later getting a job at Amity Mfg. Corp., a defense plant during WW II, where she met her husband Toby R. Terranova of Colonia, NJ.  Shortly after their marriage, Toby’s father, Ferdinand Terranova, an Italian immigrant from Tunis, Tunisia, helped her husband start a sewing factory in the 1960’s called Woodbridge Sportswear, in Sewaren, NJ.  As the surrounding area became more urbanized and national corporations began attracting the labor force, they had to move their small sewing factory to an area where there would be plenty of labor.  After briefly moving to Milford, PA., and renaming the business Milford Sportswear, they found a better location in 1971 on Route 17B in Callicoon, NY.  It is the same building occupied by Callicoon Supply today.  The company was renamed again to Nova Sportswear. Twenty-five to 35 local employees were hired depending upon the season.  They made snowsuits for children or women’s tops and skirts for JC Penny and Sears throughout the 1970’s and mid-1980’s.  After her husband retired, they moved briefly to Limestoneville, PA., to be near his sister Ann Terranova-Kidd.  But with his passing in 1991, Bertha moved back to Fremont Center to be near her daughter Christine and son-in-law Craig Reimer where she spent the rest of her life until her passing.    She is buried at St. Gertrude Cemetery, 53 Inman Ave, Colonia, NJ.

The Terranova family would like to thank the many personal aids (Ann, Buffy, Danielle, June, Linda, Melanie) who made her life at home comfortable and loving.

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