William "Bill" J. Gerry

William (Bill) J. Gerry, 91, of Rockford died peacefully in his home on December 22, 2014. He was born on June 15, 1923 in Brooklyn, New York to Joseph and Anna (Seibel) Gerry. Bill served in the Army during WWII in the South Pacific and in the Navy Reserves and studied the trombone at Juilliard for several years pursuing his love of music. He worked as a draftsman, married Eleanor Whitman in 1951, and raised his five children first on Long Island, then New Jersey, then Illinois. After an annulment he married his current wife of 33 years, Virginia Barcklay on March 29, 1981.
He is survived by his brother Thomas Gerry and the following children; James (Kay), Derek (Carletta), John (Mary Ann), Jeanne (Jim) Robison and step-children Curtis, Thomas, John, Barbara (Michael), Nancy, Dolores (Michael), and Donna; 22 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; predeceased in death by parents; son, Michael, brother, Joseph and sister Anna.
The visitation will be at 5:00PM with a time of sharing at 6:30 on Friday January 9th at Fitzgerald Funeral Home in Rockford and 11:00 AM mass will be held on January 10 at Holy Family Church in Rockford with visitation starting at 10:00AM. To share a memory or express condolences, visit