Gertrude Anita Hyman, a homemaker active in her church, died of congestive heart failure Friday at Brightview Assisted Living of Bel Air. She was 83.

Born Gertrude Anita Gaeng in Baltimore and raised on Normal Avenue, she was a 1942 Institute of Notre Dame graduate. She married her high school sweetheart, George Hyman, on July 11, 1945, while he was on leave from the Army. He died Jan. 22, one month before his wife.

After living in Northwood, she moved to Bel Air in 1965. Mrs. Hyman was active in St. Margaret Catholic Church, which she helped clean. She also counted collection money, served the homeless and washed and ironed altar linens. She also volunteered in the nurse's office at John Carroll High School.

"She earned the reputation for never saying an unkind word to anyone or about anyone," said her daughter Susan Kelly of Bel Air.

A Mass of Christian burial will be offered at 10 a.m. today at St. Margaret's, 141 Hickory Ave. in Bel Air.

In addition to her daughter, survivors include a son, Stephen Hyman of Bel Air; four other daughters, Kathleen Straub, Deborah Sullivan and Lisa Pons, all of Bel Air, and Chris Scott of Street; a brother, J. Raymond Gaeng of Bel Air; a sister, Patricia Jemellaro of Conowingo in Cecil County; 13 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.