Remembering Cherie

How the pandemic took one of Bayonne’s most cherished citizens

By Daniel Israel

Photos courtesy of The La Pelusa Family

In many ways, Cherie La Pelusa was the power behind the throne. Though her husband Gary has tirelessly served on the Bayonne City Council since 2008, Cherie shared his love for the city and was, in every way, a partner in good citizenship.

She co-owned Gary La Pelusa Landscaping, the business they ran for 33 years.

She was the force behind the Gary La Pelusa Association, a charitable organization whose mission is to improve the quality life for Bayonne residents, help those in need, and honor those who make the community a better place.

Cherie tried to imbue others with her sense of purpose. She would often phone the Bayonne Community News if she thought the paper had overlooked a newsworthy person or event.

She and Gary are lifelong residents. Cherie graduated from Bayonne High School. They were married for 28 years and have four children: David, Gary Jr., Jessica, and Gianna.

Cherie was an early victim of the coronavirus. Doctors have learned a lot since her death on April 28.

One of the vicious hallmarks of this disease is that patients who seem to be recovering can often take a sudden turn for the worse.

In an interview with Bayonne: Life on the Peninsula, Gary recalled his wife’s last days.

Caring for Mom

On Feb. 22, Gary’s youngest daughter Gianna, 12, was discharged from the hospital after her third surgery to remove painful bone growths due to hereditary multiple exostoses (HME).

On the same day, Cherie’s mother, Adrienne Marangio, was rushed to the hospital with symptoms of a stroke.

After the stroke, Adrienne had limited mobility in her right leg and arm. She was hospitalized for about a week before being transferred to St. Ann’s in Jersey City for rehabilitation.

Cherie was by her mother’s side for as long as she could be. After two or three weeks of rehabilitation, no more visitors were allowed under COVID-19 restrictions.

Meanwhile, both Cherie and Adrienne had begun to develop a “rotten cough.”

On April 7, Adrienne was discharged. Cherie stayed at her mother’s house.

More than a Cough

On April 18, after two days at home, Adrienne was rushed to Bayonne Medical Center, where she was diagnosed with COVID-19 and pneumonia in both lungs.

On April 11, Cherie talked to her doctor about her own symptoms and was prescribed the antibiotic Azithromycin to start on April 12. Her doctor sent her to get tested at the drive-thru COVID-19 site at Veterans Stadium. She was positive for the virus.

On April 13, Gary and Cherie were sick in bed throughout the day.

When Cherie finished the antibiotic later in the week, she still felt symptoms and was prescribed Hydroxychloroquine, an

From left to right: David, Gary Sr., Cherie, Gianna, and Jessica.

From left to right: Gary Sr., David, Cherie, Gianna, Jessica, and Gary Jr. From left to right: Cherie, Gary Sr., Gianna, and Jessica.

early COVID-19 treatment that has since been dropped in favor of Remdesivir and Dexamethasone.

The drug was in short supply. Cherie wouldn’t receive the treatment until April 19.

Gary, meanwhile, felt better after just a few days and returned to work on Thursday, April 16.

Next stop, BMC

On April 19, Gary went to wake her up before work, but she had trouble breathing and was hyperventilating. She was rushed to the hospital.

“I kissed her forehead and put her in the ambulance, and that was the last time I saw my wife,” Gary said.

For the ten days she was hospitalized, Cherie was put on a ventilator and sedated to help her breathe. She started on the ventilator at around 70 percent oxygen, with staff lowering it 10 percent each day to help her breathe on her own.

The only interaction her family had was through hospital nurses. A family member had to call the nurses’ station, and if a nurse wasn’t busy, he or she would facilitate a call between Cherie and her family.

On April 26, things began to look better. Cherie was responding well. By day eight, April 26, she was awake, alert, and only lightly sedated. She was watching TV and interacting with nurses who told her that Gary and her family had been calling.

Turn for the worst

On April 28, Gary’s daughter, Jessica, phoned the nurses’ station and arranged a FaceTime call for 2 p.m.

Gary left work early to talk to Cherie, but 2 p.m. came and went without a call. When he called the hospital, he was told the nurses were busy and scheduled a time to call in the evening.

Gary called the hospital again. It took him four calls to get through to a nurse. He was told that all the nurses were in Cherie’s room and that someone would call him soon.

At 9:30 p.m., a doctor called Gary and told him that they’d lost Cherie twice while she was on the table and to keep the phone close.

Gary explained to his older children what was going on. Before he could finish, he got another call. It was 10 p.m.

Cherie had passed away.

Living On

Four days later, on May 2, Adrienne passed away.

Gary and his son David tested positive and had quarantined.

The pandemic did not allow for a traditional wake and funeral. An outdoor service was held at the family’s church, St. Vincent de Paul.

The hearse pulled up in the parking lot and released the closed coffin. Loved ones placed flowers on the coffin and said their final goodbyes.

Only two family members were allowed at the May 4 burial. Gary went with his youngest daughter, Gianna.

Gary considers himself “very blessed.” He said, “Cherie told it like it is and didn’t take crap from anyone, but she’d give you the shirt off her back.”—BLP