Obituary of Gertrude Vanderbilt

GERTRUDE PORT VANDERBILT, Educator Gertrude P. “Trudy” Vanderbilt, retired educator and resident of Joe Indian Lake, Parishville, died Friday, July3, of complications from a stroke at the St. Joseph’s Home in Ogdensburg, NY. She was 89. Gertrude Vanderbilt was born October 7, 1919 to Robert John Port and his wife Gertrude (nee McIntyre) Port, in New York City where she attended private Catholic schools. In 1941 she graduated Cum Laude from Good Counsel College, in White Plains, NY. In her early teens, her parents came north to the Adirondacks, first for the hunting and later to own property. They became frequent guests at the Pinehurst Hotel on Joe Indian Lake, 17 miles from the village of Parishville. She was often permitted to stay for the summer while her parent returned to NYC for her father’s work as a New York City policeman. The memories and friends she made during her summers there endured her entire life. In the late 30’s her father bought property on the lake where she was to spend her most contented years after her retirement. A stunning young woman, she was hired by Ford Motor Company in 1939 to pose with their automobiles at the New York World’s Fair, “Building the World of Tomorrow”. There she met Eugene James Vanderbilt, Jr., whom she married three weeks after the United States entered World War II. As soon as her youngest child entered school, Ms. Vanderbilt pursued her true passion: teaching. “She did not believe in transferring information; she worked all her life to instill the love of learning to her students”, said her son, Gene Vanderbilt, III of Sparks, Maryland. “She was energetic and enthusiastic in all her endeavors, and cared deeply about her students, maintaining contact with many for years after their graduation. She was also inspiring and became known for assigning her students to “go fall in love” before starting a unit on Shakespeare”. During her long career, Ms. Vanderbilt taught Honors English, Drama, Speech and Debate at Vestal High School in Vestal, NY, and, after moving her family to Maryland in 1960, she taught at Towson Senior High School and Dulaney Senior High School. She continued her own life long learning as well, earning her Masters’ Degree in Liberal Arts from Johns Hopkins University. She had completed all but her dissertation for her PhD at the University of Maryland. After retiring from teaching in the mid-80’s she traveled abroad extensively and moved back to her family home in the Adirondacks, but did not remain “retired” long. She accepted a position to teach part-time at St .Lawrence University in Canton, NY, from 1987 through 1990, when she retired again. In addition to traveling, she enjoyed history and culture, visiting museums as often as possible and attending orchestral and dramatic performances. She loved reading and writing poetry and studying nature. She was a life long advocate of preserving natural habitats and supported Adirondack conservation/preservation projects. Private gravesite services were held Wednesday, July 8, in Parishville, NY. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Parishville Fire Department, Parishville, NY,13672. Arrangements for a celebration of her life are incomplete at this time. In addition to her son Gene and his wife Ann, Gertrude Port Vanderbilt is survived by her daughters Barbara Vanderbilt-King, of Parishville, NY, Mary-Lynne Vanderbilt-Campbell and her husband Bruce of Monkton, Maryland and son, Jonathon Vanderbilt of Portland, Oregon. A granddaughter died in infancy. She lovingly welcomed into her family two adopted grandsons, and six step-grandchildren. Online condolences can be shared with the family at www.buckfuneralhome.com