Born in Boston, Gerry took lifelong pride in his 11th grade spelling bee win at Boston English High School. He followed his older brother to Los Angeles at the age of 17, working at Universal Studios and attending Los Angeles City College.

Gerry served in Europe during WWII, earning the Combat Infantrymans Badge. He loved telling stories of his unit, the 89th Infantry Division, and wrote stories and poems since the 1930’s. After the war, Gerry obtained his B.S. and M.S.W. from the University of Southern California. A champion of peace and equality, he lived his adult life in Portland and Berkeley, Calif., working as a social worker at the state and county levels. In retirement, he volunteered for Kaiser Permanente, the Oregon Historical Society and the Portland Art Museum.

Gerry was a fan of travel, movies, language and writing, and always had a humorous anecdote or pun to share with his many friends at Willamette View, where he lived for the past 12 years. His beloved wife of 59 years, Dorothy, died in 2013.

He is survived by his son, Charles; Charles wife, Ellen; and their son, Max.

A celebration of Gerry’s life will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 9, 2016, at Willamette View Terrace fourth floor auditorium.

Celebration of Life

1:00pm ,Friday, July 8, 2016
Willamette View Terrace fourth floor auditorium