Gerard Way
Way in 2019, photo by DFree/www.bigstockphoto.com/
Birth Name: Gerard Arthur Way
Place of Birth: Summit, New Jersey, U.S.
Date of Birth: April 9, 1977
Ethnicity: Italian (maternal grandmother), Scottish, German, English, Welsh, French, possibly other
Gerard Way is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and comic book writer. He is the lead singer of rock band My Chemical Romance. He also created The Umbrella Academy comic book series.
Gerard is the son of Donna and Donald Way. His brother is musician and actor Mikey Way. Gerard is married to Lyn-Z, the bassist for the band Mindless Self Indulgence. The couple has a daughter.
Gerard is a second cousin of stand-up comedian, martial arts color commentator, and podcast host Joe Rogan. They share a set of great-grandparents, Savino/Samuel Spadone and Genovieve/Genivie/Genieve/Jennie Anniziata.
Gerard has stated that he is of half Scottish descent.
Gerard’s paternal grandparents possibly were Jonathan Camp Way and Ellen Lee. Jonathan was born in Connecticut. Ellen was born in New Jersey.
Gerard’s maternal grandfather was Arthur J. Rush (the son of Robert Wesley Rush and Theresa Agnes “Tessie” Blumenthal). Arthur was born in New Jersey. Robert was the son of British parents, Lewis Rush and Alice Monk, who likely had origins from England and Wales. Theresa was born in New York or Germany, the daughter of German parents, Charles Blumenthal, who was born in Alsace-Lorraine, likely in Mulhouse, and Agnes Herzog, who was born in Guben, Prussia. It is not clear if Theresa had Jewish ancestry. Some genealogies state that her paternal grandfather, Joseph Blumenthal, was born in Lithuania.
Gerard’s maternal grandmother was Elena/Helen Lee/Lina Spadone (the daughter of Savino/Samuel “Sam” Spadone and Genovieve/Genivie/Genieve/Jennie Annunziata/Anniziata). Elena was born in New Jersey, to Italian parents. Savino was from Melfi, Province of Potenza, Basilicata, and was the son of Giovanni Spadone and Lucia Vitelli. Genovieve was from Aquilonia, Province of Avellino, Campania, and her mother’s surname was De Riezo.
Sources: Genealogy of Gerard Way (focusing on his mother’s side) – https://www.geni.com
Gerard’s maternal grandfather, Arthur J. Rush, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Gerard’s maternal great-grandfather, Robert Wesley Rush, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Gerard’s maternal great-grandmother, Theresa Agnes “Tessie” Blumenthal, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Theresa Agnes “Tessie” Blumenthal on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Marriage record of Gerard’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Charles Blumenthal and Agnes Herzog – https://www.familysearch.org
Death record of Gerard’s maternal great-great-great-uncle (great-great-grandfather’s brother), Gustave Adolph​ Blumenthal, a vocational analyst – https://www.familysearch.org
Death record of Gerard’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Agnes (Herzog) Blumenthal – https://www.familysearch.org
Gerard’s maternal grandmother, Elena/Helen Lee/Lina Spadone, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Joseph Levy Blumenthal was born in Lithuania, more specifically in the city of Telsiai.
His parents were either ethnic Lithuanians, or Ashkenazi Jews, or Baltic Germans
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/9WTZ-345
Gerard’s maternal great-grandfather Savino/Samuel Spadone was from Melfi, Province of Potenza, Basilicata, Italy. https://www.geni.com/people/Savino-Spadone/6000000064349030863
Gerard’s maternal great-grandmother Genevieve (Annunziata) Spadone was from Aquilonia, Province of Avellino, Campania, Italy.
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Annunziata-20
Gerard Way is either 1/64th or 1/32 Ashkenazi (Lithuanian) Jewish. His mother is Donna Rush, father was Arthur J. Rush (1928-2005) b. New Jersey, mother Theresa Agnes Blumenthal (1897-1960) b. New York, father Charles Blumenthal (1868-1936) b. France, father Joseph Levy Blumenthal (1824-1892) b. Lithuania, father was Leopold Levy Blumenthal (1800-1841) b. Lithuania and was a Rabbi. His wife Rebecca Simon could have been Jewish as well.
Charles Blumenthal’s father was named Joseph Blumenthal, but how do these family trees establish that he was this same Joseph Levy Blumenthal who was Jewish?
I think you are right follers. I went to Charles Blumenthal “in the Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1967” on ancestry records. clicked on father “Joseph Blumenthal” and record says he was born in France not Lithuania and certificate of death appears possibly his parents were from France. I think the family trees I was stupid enough to trust were wrong :( They still could be right but not sure yet.
Is this Gerard’s uncle?
https://www.ccgfuneralhome.com/obit/jonathan-c.-jack-way
In the obituary it lists Donald Way (the name of Gerard’s father) of Belleville, NJ (where Gerard grew up) as a brother.
If so, Gerard’s paternal line goes all the way back to George Way, who emigrated to Boston in 1631.
Birth record for Jonathan Camp Way, Gerard’s possible grandfather:
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/369174977/
Obituary for Donald Forbes Way, Gerard’s possible great-grandfather:
http://mssa.library.yale.edu/obituary_record/1925_1952/1947-48.pdf
What about the Blumenthal line? I know people will tell me it’s Jewish, but it seems like it can be just German too. And I don’t think his recent ancestors were Jewish. Which of his ancestors, if any, was fully Jewish?
It’s Lithuanian Jewish in his case. Gerard’s 2nd-great-grandfather Charles Blumenthal was half Ashkenazi Jewish half French (non-Jewish). Charles, born in 1868 in France was the son of Joseph Levy Blumenthal (1824-1892) Lithuania and Therese Johanna Dina Haas (1829-1893) in France. She was the daughter of Jacob Haas and Maria Picaard. I will upload obituaries shortly.
Jacob Haas and Maria Picaard sounds very Dutch/Flemish.
Haas, yes I 100% agree. Picaard I believe could easily be French as well
So you have an obituary that confirms that Joseph was Jewish?
No, sadly. Ancestry only has the obituary of his spouse :-(
I am having trouble copying the link but go to Therese Johanna Dina Haas (1829-1893) born in France and you can see her obituary.
So… how do you know for sure that he was Jewish?
You’re right I am not certain he was Jewish. But I believe Joseph Levy Blumenthal was born in 1824 in Lithuania and immigrated and died in 1892 in France. His parents were Leopold Levy Blumenthal (1800-1841) and Rebecca Simon died around 1841 as well. Both lived in Lithuania their whole lives. Possibly ethnically Lithuanian.
A family tree I just found that matched says that Leopold Levy Blumenthal’s (1800-1841) occupation was a Rabbi btw.