Gail Diane Pezzuto

On Christmas Day, her favorite day of the entire year, Gail Pezzuto went home to see Jesus, surrounded by the family she loved with her whole heart. 

Born December 15, 1959, in Sellersville, Pennsylvania, Gail was the beloved daughter of Nancy (Hess) Wetzel and the late Charles A. Wetzel of Harleysville. She graduated from Souderton Area High School in 1977. On August 16, 1980, she married James M. (Jim) Pezzuto, and this past August they celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary, a partnership built on unwavering love, deep faith, and shared devotion to family. 

If you knew Gail, you felt her love before you heard it. It was in the handmade ornaments she spent hours creating, in the way she remembered every grandchild's favorite color, in how she transformed ordinary days into celebrations. Her creativity, inherited from her father, was never about the craft itself. It was about making you feel cherished. 

As a mother to Joshua, Stephanie, and Scott, Gail set a standard of unwavering presence and steadfast devotion. As "Gigi" to her seven grandchildren (Karina, Gordon, Callum, Torrin, Evelyn, Kaden, and Mila), her greatest joy in life, she helped plan elaborate celebrations for every milestone and turned regular afternoons into craft projects and special moments, making each child feel like the center of her world.

Friends and neighbors knew Gail as someone who made you feel at home the moment you walked through her door. Many young people called her their "second mom," not because she tried to be, but because that's what happened when Gail loved you: completely, safely, steadily. Whether you needed a last-minute fix for a special occasion, a listening ear during a difficult time, or simply a place where you belonged, Gail had this gift: she made you matter. 

Her passions included painting, crafting, cooking, gardening, and most of all, entertaining. Her home and garden were extensions of her creativity and care: she filled her backyard with trees, flowers, vegetables, herbs, and whimsical touches like birdhouses and handmade decorations, creating an oasis where countless special afternoons and evenings unfolded. The vegetables and herbs found their way into her cooking, fresh flowers brightened every room, and her collection of handcrafted and treasured clocks added character to her warm and welcoming home. Her generosity extended even to the animals she loved: over the years, she cared for many cats and dogs, taking in strays and preparing home-cooked meals for them with the same devotion she showed to family. While she celebrated all holidays and seasons, Christmas was by far her favorite time of year, not because of the weather or calendar, but because there was no better time to give: her crafts, her time, her passion, her presence. Especially with family. Every handmade decoration and thoughtfully planned gathering was her way of saying: you are loved, you belong here. 

Gail grew up attending Friedens United Church of Christ in Sumneytown, Pennsylvania, and was later a faithful member of LCBC Manheim Campus. Her faith was quiet but unshakeable, evident in how she lived: with grace, generosity, and genuine care for others. For nearly three years, Gail faced stage 4 pancreatic cancer with extraordinary courage. She and Jim prayed Psalm 121 together daily ("I lift my eyes to the mountains, where does my help come from?"), and in that prayer, they found their strength. Even in her final weeks, Gail's spirit remained gracious, faithful, and full of hope.

Surviving Gail, in addition to her husband Jim and her mother Nancy, are her children: Joshua J. Pezzuto with wife Jill, and grandchildren Karina and Gordon of Northlake, Texas; Stephanie D. McKenna with husband Michael, and grandchildren Callum, Torrin, and Evelyn of Derry Township, Pennsylvania; and Scott M. Pezzuto with wife Kara, and grandchildren Kaden and Mila of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Also surviving are her sisters Debra, wife of Dale Harkins of Indianapolis, Indiana; and Ellen, wife of Wayne Van Patten of Harleysville, Pennsylvania. 

Family and friends are respectfully invited to attend her Memorial Service/Celebration of Life at Buch Funeral Home, 21 W. Main Street, Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, on January 24, 2026. Visitation will be from 11:30 to 12:30 and Services from 1:00 to 2:00. A semiprivate service will follow at the Masonic Village in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania where Gail’s ashes will be placed to rest.

The family invites you to share memories and photos through the online guestbook. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to American Cancer Society or PanCan.org. 

Gail's legacy lives on in how she made people feel: welcomed, loved, like they mattered. She is home now, whole and at peace, with her Savior on the day she loved most.