Obituary of Gabriele M. Hollain

Gabriele "Gaby" Hollain, 69, died on Saturday, May 18, 2013 at the Open Arms Hospice in Simpsonville, SC., following a courageous battle against myeloma. Born in Germany to the late Gerhard and Johanna Skotarczak, Gaby and her family came to the United States in the 1953. They had lived in Flushing, NY before moving to South Plainfield in 1966. She settled to South Carolina in 2010. Initially working for Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in the early 60's, Gaby then was a homemaker before returning to work for a short time at Modulom and as a lunch aid in the school system before finding her home in the Payroll Department for the borough of South Plainfield. She had also worked nights at her parish, Sacred Heart Church in South Plainfield, for many years. Gaby was a well known, active person with a very outgoing and cheerful personality that would make you her friend the first time you spoke to her. She always found time to help others, enjoyed talking on the phone, loved swimming and would open her home and pool for all to use. She was a grandmother to many of her friends' children and a special friend to all that knew her. Predeceased by her beloved son, Steven, her dear sister, Helga Heileman and her parents. Surviving are her daughter; Denise Tappe and her husband, Jerome of Minnesota, son; Mark and his wife Toni of Whitehouse Station, two nieces; Kirsten Zinkann and her husband, Steve and Nancy Barrett and her husband, Matthew all of Simpsonville, five grandsons; Cory, Grant, Steven, Nico and Mateo and five great nieces and nephews; Hope, Harrison, Abigail, Brian and Evelyn. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, May, 23, 2013 at 9:15am in the McCriskin - Gustafson Home For Funerals, 2425 Plainfield Ave. South Plainfield, NJ 07080, followed by a funeral mass at 10:00am in Sacred Heart RC Church, South Plainfield. Cremation and interment of her cremated remains with her son will take place privately. Family and friends may attend the visitation hours on Wednesday from 4-8 pm in the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donation in her memory may be made to Duke Cancer Institute DUMC 3828, Durham, NC 27710 (www.gifts.duke.edu/dci) or to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) 383 Main Avenue, 5th Floor, Norwalk, CT 06851, (www.themmrf.org)