Obituary of Gerald Edward Peck

Reunion for Gerald Edward Peck and Anne Griffin Peck - Location: Heaven! At the age of 93 Gerald (Jerry) Edward Peck has gone to a Reunion unlike any other – he joined his wife Anne at their residence in Heaven. She had made a space ready for him after her Move in September of 2012. The Reunion was held on Wednesday, March 22, 2017, and those who knew them well could feel the touch of their souls reuniting! Born April 18, 1923 in North East, PA to Mary Katherine Peck and Albert Homer Peck, Jerry was one of 4 children. Waiting at the Reunion were not only his parents, but his siblings - Evelyn Peck, Raymond Peck and Betty Peck Wolf. As a young man, he studied aircraft engineering after school while in high school, and was an apprentice in the GE Training program to become a machinist prior to enlisting to serve in World War II. During The War, he served in the United States Navy in both the European and Asian Theatres on the U.S.S. Garfield Thomas – Destroyer Escort 193 where he was Fire Controlman 1st Class. Upon returning home, he was accepted to Carnegie Tech and attended on the G.I. Bill. While at Carnegie Tech, Jerry met Anne, his future wife, at a Neumann Club mixer. The night they met, he went back to his dorm and informed his roommate that he had just met the woman he was going to marry. From that moment on the courtship started and Jerry’s grades started slipping….but it all worked out in the end… They married in February, 1951 in Bennington, VT and spent more than 60 years being each other’s friend, spouse, confidant, and eternal love. Jerry was “Dad” to – Andrew Gerald Peck of St. Paul, MN and Sarah “Sally” Griffin Peck – of Martinsburg, WV. And although he worked long hours in NYC, he made time to participate in his children’s lives and activities (sledding, ice skating, visits to Kent Falls, Indian Guides, Girl Scouts, Father/Son and Father/Daughter events sponsored by Church and schools…). A civil engineer by education, Jerry spent the majority of his professional career working for and eventually managing the National American Wholesale Grocers Association (NAWGA). He was a founding member of the Food Industry Crusade Against Hunger (FICAH) - a non-profit organization dedicated to providing funding to programs to alleviate hunger and malnutrition by fostering long-term, self-help solutions both in the United States and around the world. He was the recipient of the Food Marketing Institute’s Herbert Hoover Award in 1981 - For humanitarian service in the food industry. Upon retirement from the food industry, Jerry received a “lifetime achievement award” from the Academy of Food Marketing at St. Joseph’s University (Philadelphia, PA) – a Fellowship was established in his name to provide scholarship funds to benefit students who could help build the industry. As a parting gift upon their retirement (they were a team) Jerry and Anne were both given a set of golf clubs so they could finally learn the game and play together. Anne chose not to take up the sport – but Jerry dove into it – and though he was never exceptional at the game – “it was a nice walk interrupted by a little white ball” - it gave him great joy. Jerry and Anne spent their retirement enjoying each other’s company – at home, traveling to see family, at “Primetime” in Nantucket – their favorite place to relax – Jerry taking Anne out for canoe rides for as long as he was physically able, and then for evening walks around the circle as the sunset or to the beach to look for the green flash as the sun dipped below the horizon. Now they will always be able to see that Flash together. Funeral Mass will be: Saturday, April 8th at 11:00 AM at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, Martinsburg, WV A reception celebrating Jerry’s life will be held after the Funeral Mass at his daughter Sally’s home at 1 Dennis Street, Martinsburg, WV. Thank you to the Medical Center at Ashby Ponds and Capital Caring who took exceptional care of Jerry. Special thanks to Sara who made him smile every time he saw her or heard her name – and to Hans, who continued to provide friendship, love and support even after Dad was removed from Hospice care - you have been special gifts in our lives! Prayer of St. Francis Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; Where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love. For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. Give Mom a kiss from us Dad! Your beautiful bright blue eyes and easy smile – all of you - will be missed, but we’ll see you on the other side. Now you know the Truth.