Funeral services for Gerald R. Adler, 70, of Langbrook Lane, Morristown, will be held on Tuesday (December 27, 2011) at 11 a.m. at the St. John the Evangelist Church in Morristown with Rev. Albert Hauser officiating. Burial will be at a later date at the St. James Cemetery in Gouverneur.
Gerry passed away at his home on December 22, 2011 after having spent the day with family and gazing at the St. Lawrence River in the home he built, while enjoying an occasional nudge from his two Bernese Mountain dogs.
There will be no public calling hours. Arrangements are with the Fox & Murray Funeral Home, Ogdensburg.
Surviving are his wife, Carol; two daughters, Christine (Michael) Krauss and Amy (James) Pritchard; five grandchildren, Ben, Colin, Allison, Gavin and Hannah; a brother, Dr. Karl P. (Joan) Adler, five nephews and their families, Paul, Bruce, Karl Jr. and Peter; and several cousins who have remained close throughout the years, in spite of being separated by distance.
Gerry was born on February 5, 1941 in Paterson, NJ, a son of Paul and Geraldine (Smith) Adler.
He graduated from Butler High School in Butler, NJ. His varied educational experiences included Purdue University (BS), Syracuse University (MS), SUNY Binghamton (Decker School of Nursing – (BS & RN) and Albany Medical Center, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).
After graduating from Purdue, Gerry worked for a time in New York City with the telephone company and then settled in the New York Southern Tier for 10 years while working for IBM. After completing the CRNA program at Albany Medical Center, he returned to the southern tier.
He joined the United States Air Force, serving until his retirement in 1997. During his enlistment, he was stationed at Griffiss Air Force Base (AFB), Rome, NY; MacDill AFB, Tampa, FL; Lackland AFB, San Antonio, TX; Osan AFB, Osan, Korea, and Eglin AFB in Niceville, FL. Gerry worked 11+ years at Samaritan Medical Center, Watertown while residing on the St. Lawrence River.
On August 22, 1981 he married Carol Bennett at St. Lawrence University’s Gunnison Chapel with Rev. Msgr. Billmeyer officiating.
Gerry’s interests like his education, are varied. He loved playing trombone and piano, and has been an active member of the Clayton Community Band since 2007. He also enjoyed sailing, building model airplanes, wood working, reading, traveling around the country in his RV, golfing and spending time with his family
Earlier this month, Gerry had been hospitalized at Samaritan Medical Center, and many caregivers heard that he was the first male graduate of the Decker School of Nursing. His great smile and “thumbs up” sign will be remembered by all who experienced his courageous battle with cancer.
Memorial donations can be made to the Clayton Community Band, St. John’s Church in Morristown, or Hospice and Palliative Care of St. Lawrence Valley. Online condolences can also be made on line at www.foxandmurrayfuneralhome.com.
