James K. Gerow

James K. GerowJames Kent Gerow, 91 of Madison NY was called home to the Lord on December 11, 2021. He was born on June 7, 1930, to Carl and Reba (Marr) Gerow in Utica NY. He served in the Marines from 1948-1950 and spent his whole life doing things his way. When he was 15, he hitchhiked from New York to California and back again, and had a lifetime of stories to tell. He raced stock cars in the 1950s in the early days of NASCAR, earning himself the nickname "Gentleman Jim." He started J. K. Gerow Trucking business in Madison, with a fleet of trucks and drivers. Next came his Sunoco station on Route 20 in Madison. He then went on to become proprietor of Bouckville Auction Gallery along with his wife Patricia. He was known far and wide as the man with the handlebar mustache and spent many years drinking coffee with friends at Quack's Diner. In his younger years, he dabbled in piloting his plane and enjoyed taking trips on Oneida Lake and the surrounding waterways in his boat.Jim took extreme pride in his family and looked forward to huge gatherings like his 80th and 90th birthday party, family reunions, weddings, and the annual Christmas Eve party at the house, where 51 stockings hung on the mantle. He and his wife spent 20 winters by the ocean in Myrtle Beach, enjoying visits from family and friends.Jim loved to talk about the way things were, often reminiscing about his job at Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, NY, tearing down jet engines when he was just 15. He always remembered what it was like being there when the workers heard the news that the war had ended. He could tear apart and fix just about any piece of machinery there was, from 18 wheelers to lawnmowers and everything in between. Jim was predeceased by his parents, his brother Donald who died in Italy in World War II, and his brothers Frederick and Theodore (Burke). He is survived by the love of his life and his partner of over 60 years, Patricia Ann (Rue) Gerow, (his "Patty Ann"), his brother Robert (Terri) Gerow of Schenectady, his cousin Eileen Wolcott of New Hartford, and his 6 children; Deborah McEwen of New Hartford, James Gerow Jr. of Amsterdam, Michael (Barbara) Gerow of Sherrill, Angela (Joel) Caraher of Delanson, Bonny Gerow (Gary Taylor) of Williamstown and Jaime (Michael) Frost of Cumming, Georgia. He is also survived by grandchildren Darlene Hall, Phillip (Kristina) Howard, Jill Tuten, Megan (Daniel) Donato, Elizabeth (Phillip) Davis, Carolyn (Trevor) Thieme, Kyle Caraher, Bryce (Alicia) Caraher, Clayre Caraher, Ryan (Katelynne) Bean, Shannon (Joel) Kayser, and Tyler Bean (Abigail Windhausen). In addition, he is survived by 15 great-grandchildren and 4 great-great-grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, and his faithful companion, a Golden Retriever he called Odie, all very loved and cherished. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at St. Joseph's Church in Oriskany Falls NY on Saturday, December 18 at 1:00 pm, with the Rev. Jason Hage, as Celebrant. Interment with Military Honors will be held in the spring, in St. Joseph's Cemetery. Calling hours will be from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm at St. Joseph's Church immediately before the funeral. Facial masks are required to be in attendance for visitation and funeral mass. Arrangements are under the direction and personal care of Jeffrey T. Paul, at the Paul Funeral Home of Madison. To offer a message of condolence, please visit: paulfuneralhome.netIn lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Jim's memory to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital or your local animal shelter or food bank.

Visitation

Saturday, December 18, 2021 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
St. Joseph's Catholic Church
229 Main Street Oriskany Falls 13425, United States

Service

Saturday, December 18, 2021 1:00 PM
St. Joseph's Catholic Church
229 Main Street Oriskany Falls 13425, United States

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