A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated July 11 in St. Martha Church, Point Pleasant, for Deacon John Joseph Gimblett Jr., who died July 8. He was 78.

Born in the Bronx, N.Y., Deacon Gimblett was a veteran of the Korean War, serving in the U.S. Navy. He retired in 1984, after 38 years of employment with the New York Telephone Company where he worked as a subject matter expert.

Deacon Gimblett was ordained a deacon for the Diocese of Metuchen by Bishop Vincent De Paul Breen in 2001. In 2005, he relocated to Brick and was assigned to St. Martha Parish where he was active with the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and with his wife, Ann Marie, was a founding member of the parish’s Pre-Cana program. He was a certified spiritual advisor and served as an all-faiths chaplain at both Ocean Medical Center, Brick, and John F. Kennedy Medical Center, Edison. He had also been active with the Knights of Columbus in Brooklyn.

Deacon Gimblett was predeceased by his son, Joseph Patrick who died in 2006 and his son-in-law, John Dellamura who died in 2008. Along with his wife of 58 years, he is survived by four daughters, Rita A. (Regis R.) Furtado; Peggy Dellamura; Nancy (Kevin) Richmond, and Lorraine (Michael) Boghosian; a son, John J. IV (Kim); 12 grandchildren; a brother, two sisters and their spouses, and five nieces.

Burial was in the Brig. Gen. William C. Doyle New Jersey Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery, Arneytown.

Memorial donations may be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Society Conference in St. Martha Parish, 3800 Herbertsville Rd., Point Pleasant, N.J. 08742.