Gertrude (Bixby) Strickland

Gertrude Bixby Strickland

Passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family on Sunday October 29, 2023 at the age of 103. Born June 28, 1920 in New Haven CT to Frederick Eugene Bixby and Florence (Lockwood) Bixby. At the age of 2 moved with her family to Bridgeport, CT.

She attended Bridgeport grammar school to grade 6, Lincoln junior high school to grade 8. She graduated from Warren Harding High school and then Wards Business school with honors. She married Robert Clark Strickland SR and had 5 children.

After children were grown, she worked for Pratt & Whitney as a date Entry clerk, taking

dictation from Plane engine testing pits. She later worked for New York, New Haven railroad until they went bankrupt. She then worked for Penn Central in the New Haven office clearing old accounts as Lead Clerk (Supervisor) until they went bankrupt. After that the passenger went Amtrak and Freight went Conrail. When Freight offices were consolidated into one main office in Philadelphia, she decided to take severance and move to Palm Bay, FL. She temporarily worked in the Vero Beach school system entering children’s names and addresses into the new computer system. When that was completed, she worked at Piper Aircraft. To save on travel she then worked at Harris Corporation where she was awarded the Employee of the week award. At age 65 she built a house in Florida completed the inside herself by hand where she lived for many years .After 3 bouts of Colon Cancer, she moved back to East Hampton, CT where she was cared for by her Loving Daughter-in-law Dotty Seitzer and Husband George.

Gert had many hobbies. She was an avid reader, liked to crochet, knit and patchwork quilting. Her biggest accomplishment was doing the last supper with Jesus and his 12 disciples. It was tiny tiny cross stitching on aida cloth. It was done with multiple colors of embroidery floss. It took her a full year to complete. When it was finished, she had it professionally matted and framed. It was also sprayed with a substance that prevents it from discoloring or tarnishing. The final size was 40 inches wide by 20 inches high.

She chose to be cremated and be interned in a knitch in Palm Bay, FL.

She was loved by many. To leave online condolences please visit www.spencerfuneralhomeinc.com.

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