Jerry B Wick

Gerald “Jerry” Wick, beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend, went to be with the Lord on January 11, 2020 at the age of 82. A Memorial Mass will be held at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Gig Harbor on January 30, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. followed by a Committal Service with military honors at Tahoma National Cemetery at 1:30 p.m. A Celebration of Life will be held the following day, January 31, at The Inn at Gig Harbor from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Jerry is survived by his loving wife Mary, his sister Judy Renstrom, his three children, Tim (Kyle), Mary Jo (Arne) and Daniel and his granddaughters Camille (Chris) and Mariah.  Jerry is deeply loved and will be missed every day by his family and friends.  Jerry’s bond to family and friends in St. Paul, Minnesota has always been strong and it was his wish to have a Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in St. Paul. A Mass will thus be held at Sacred Heart followed by a celebration of Jerry’s life. The exact date is not yet determined but we are aiming for the end of February/early March.  Please visit www.havenrest.com for additional service information and to read Jerry’s life story.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Kiwanis Club of Gig Harbor or Nativity House Day Shelter of Tacoma, see links below.

Jerry was born on January 9, 1938 in St. Paul Minnesota to John and Olive Wick.  He attended Harding High School where he excelled in football, hockey and track.  He earned MVP in Track and All-city and MVP in Football and was inducted into the Harding High School Hall of Stars in 2008.  After high school, Jerry served in the US Army and US Army Reserves from 1957-1963.  Jerry married the love of his life Mary (Maruska) on July 2, 1960.  Together they raised their three children Tim, Mary Jo and Daniel. 

Jerry worked for the Burlington Northern Railroad for 40 years.  His career took him and his family from Minnesota to Nebraska, Colorado and Washington where he retired as a Superintendent in 1995.  Upon retirement Jerry and Mary moved to Gig Harbor, Washington where they were active in their church, community and various organizations throughout the region.

Warm in spirit and caring toward others, Jerry was always willing to help with the task at hand. Some of his most cherished volunteer activities included Kiwanis, Multicare, St. Anthony’s Hospital, Gig Harbor Film Festival and the Tacoma Festival of Trees. He was dedicated to serving his church, St. Nicholas, performing ministry and volunteering in the classroom. After reading many stories and entertaining the kindergarteners for years, he earned the affectionate nickname ‘Uncle Jerry’. He was selfless with his time in many ways and couldn’t say ‘no’ when asked to help.  No job was too big or too small … although taking care of the cedar fences at Madrona Woods might have come close!  His cheerful disposition, quick wit and beaming smile were cherished by all.

Jerry loved to fish.  It was a lifetime passion that began as a young boy in Minnesota with his father, John.  Fishing the lakes and rivers of Minnesota and Wisconsin and ice fishing in winter were favorite past times.  Moving to the Pacific Northwest West opened opportunities for a “big catch”, where Jerry’s face lit with joy after landing a 46-½ pound salmon on the Siletz River with his daughter-in-law, Kelli.  Big catches continued and even after eight fishing “trips of a lifetime” to Alaska, he was ready for ‘one more’ every year! 

Being active was a way of life for Jerry – he was not a man to sit still!  Through the 80’s and 90’s he and Mary completed more than 30,000 kilometers Volksmarching across the United States and around the globe. He also had a “talent” that was hidden to friends but a hallmark of him to his family: He loved to sing. He really loved to sing!  His rendition of “On the Wings of a Snow White Dove” is a particular “family favorite”.  On most mornings this was Mary’s alarm, necessitating her rule of “no singing before 7 am”.

His love and dedication to family was amazing. Although many miles separated us all, he and Mary never hesitated to make trips to Minnesota, Sweden, Oregon, Georgia, Alabama or North Carolina to visit, play, celebrate or jump in to help in any way. No distance was too great to be there for us.

Jerry is preceded in death by his loving parents, his sister Margaret “Midge” and his daughter-in-law Kelli.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Kiwanis Club of Gig Harbor or Nativity House Day Shelter of Tacoma

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