To his wife, Jerry Gumbita of Unity was a work friend who soon became her loving husband. To his son, he was a happy-go-lucky guy willing to help out anyone.

And to his school friends at Saint Vincent Prep School, he was “Speedy Gumbit-y from Marguerite-y.”

“He was a fastball pitcher,” said his wife, Ann Gumbita. “He played for Marguerite when they had a team, and for Norvelt, and he pitched for Saint Vincent Prep.”

Gervase S. “Jerry” Gumbita of Unity’s Marguerite neighborhood died Monday, Aug. 26, 2019, of pancreatic cancer. He was 81.

Mr. Gumbita was born Oct. 8, 1937, a son of the late Paul S. and Catherine (Halula) Gumbita.

After graduating from Saint Vincent Prep School, Mr. Gumbita attended Saint Vincent College before starting a 33-year career as a mail carrier with the U.S. Postal Service in Latrobe.

Prior to his post-office job, Mr. Gumbita worked at the Toyad factory in Latrobe.

“I had a car, and he didn’t, so he asked if could ride to work with me,” his wife said. “We started out as friends and worked together. Then I think our first date was at the old drive-in theater on Route 30.”

The couple was married Nov. 24, 1959.

Mr. Gumbita was a member of the American Legion, volunteered at St. Emma’s Monastery, the food bank in Pleasant-Unity, the former Triangle Meals on Wheels and the Army National Guard.

Mr. Gumbita loved the Pittsburgh Pirates, and his son said that between the TV and radio, “he never missed a game.”

He was a longtime member of St. Benedict in Marguerite, where he served as an altar boy, as president of its former Holy Name Society, and as a member of the church and funeral choirs.

He was also known to parishioners as “The Bingo King.”

“There was always bingo at St. Benedict’s,” Ann said. “At the church festival that he and a friend organized, Jerry sponsored the bingo, and he was always the caller.”

His son said the family has a photo of Mr. Gumbita calling bingo while wearing the crown that made his “Bingo King” coronation official.

Before he met Ann, Mr. Gumbita had another love in his life: trains.

“From the time he was a little boy, he always liked trains,” Ann said. “When he’d hear a steam engine coming, we could’ve been going to church, but we’d have to stop to see the train come through.”

Mr. Gumbita was a member of the Train Collectors’ Association, the Lionel Collectors Club of America and a train group based in Ligonier.

“From 1973 until this year, we’ve only missed two of the (twice-yearly) Train Collectors’ Association meetings,” Ann said. “Even when he was sick and diagnosed with stage-four pancreatic cancer, he had tickets to go.”

Mr. Gumbita is survived by his wife of 59 years, Ann L. (Pianko) Gumbita; and his son, Jerry and wife, Fu Lihua (Lee) of China.

Friends will be received from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Friday at the Leo Bacha Funeral Home, 2072 Route 130, Pleasant Unity. A funeral will be at 10 a.m. at St. Benedict Catholic Church, 260 Bruno Road, Greensburg. Entombment will follow in Saint Vincent Cemetery in Unity.

Memorial contributions can be made to the church.

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