Obituary of Gerard Michael Stromberg

Gerard "Jerry" Stromberg passed away peacefully in his sleep the morning of March 8th, 2024.  He is survived by Eleanor, his wife of 58 years, his son Matthew and wife Kristine, daughter Krista and husband Hyun, his grandsons Logan and Joshua, and his sister Kathleen and husband Ben.  He has too many nieces and nephews to count easily, however the most recent addition is his great, great, great nephew Elliot to the family tree.

Jerry, known as "Uncle Jerry" or "Saint Jerry" amongst family and friends, greeted everyone with a smile and a gracious disposition.  His daily companion was a dry sense of humor which he employed to great effect when least expected.  He was always a figure of humble strength, honesty and integrity being foundation pieces to every act or decision.  He lived his faith through actions, and they were a testament to how deeply he believed in doing the right thing versus doing the easy thing.

Jerry's professional life was spent as a locksmith, serving his customers with the same principles that defined him as an iconic figure in his personal life.  He enjoyed the work and crafted each task to be a complete effort, professionally done.

Jerry was an accomplished fisherman and spent much time on the water fishing for salmon and other saltwater species.  He took the same care and pride with his fishing tackle as he did with everything else in life, a crafted effort.  Fishing was a recreation that provided healthy exercise both spiritually and emotionally.  It was an activity he could share with friends and family, spending quality time with people away from the distractions of our electronic world.

He enjoyed popcorn, and when he made popcorn for the family it became an epic event.  There was an intricate process incorporated into the effort, and the resulting popcorn was cooked and seasoned to perfection.  He made enough to last for days.

He served his country in the Coast Guard, initially in active duty and the remaining years as a reservist.  He was honorably discharged after 35 years of service.  The Coast Guard was a passion for him.  He enjoyed the experience the Coast Guard provided and was enriched by the responsibilities of serving others in such a tangible way.  Every vacation would involve a visit to the local Coast Guard station, provided one was nearby.  We were occasionally regaled with Coast Guard stories and they frequently involved his buddy Walt Doolittle, aka "Dude", as they served together for the majority of their careers.

Jerry valued family above all else.  He took great pride in his wife, children and grandchildren; his look of pride upon hearing about an accomplishment will resonate with us for the rest of our lives and will strengthen us for the challenges to come.  He was an unassuming, towering figure within the family that was always approachable for advice.  He would tell you the truth, often things you didn't want to hear but always delivered with respect and absent of malice.  If things didn't go right, and a mistake was made, he stood with you, allowing you to deal with the issue but not alone.  He wouldn't fix the problem for you but would show confidence in you, lending his strength, giving you the confidence and fortitude to complete the task.

He was a very special man.