"Beautiful service. Rest in Peace, Gerry. With Heartfelt Sympathy, Cathy (Stromsodt) Fiedler"
In loving memory of
Geraldine McGarry
September 19, 1926 - February 14, 2021
Geraldine "Gerry" McGarry, 94, of Rochester, formerly of Grand Forks, ND, passed away peacefully on Sunday, February 14, 2021 at The Homestead in Rochester, MN.
Gerry was born September 19, 1926 in Taylorville, IL to Ova and Goldie (Gensler) Chamness. She was a graduate of Taylorville High School and then went on to attend the local business school. In 1948, Gerry married Thomas McGarry and they celebrated 65 years of marriage before Tom passed away in 2013. Gerry began her working career as a switchboard operator then went to work for various doctor offices and hospitals before finally working as an administrative assistant in student health at the University of North Dakota. Gerry enjoyed spending her time crocheting, quilting and embroidering, sharing all her creations with family and friends. She had a huge heart for dogs and an admiration for the beauty of horses. Gerry had a strong work ethic and was known for her independent attitude. She was an excellent listener and full of compassion. Gerry fiercely loved her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and was supportive and loyal to her family.
Gerry is survived by her children, Sheila (Robert) Pariseau of North Chelmsford, MA, Kevin (Kim) McGarry of Rochester, MN and Steve (Michelle) McGarry of Santa Rosa, CA; seven grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren. Gerry was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas; one sister and four brothers.
A memorial service will be held 3:00 p.m. Thursday, February, 18, 2021 at Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Homes, 5421 Royal Place NW, Rochester, MN. The service will be livestreamed through the Ranfranz and Vine Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Ranfranzandvine/ where it will be available to view later on as well. Inurnment will be at Grand Forks Memorial Cemetery, Grand Forks, ND at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Mayo Clinic Hospice, 200 1st St. SW, Rochester, MN 55905 or to your local humane society. Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Home is honored to be serving the McGarry family; to share a special memory or condolence, please visit www.ranfranzandvinefh.com
Tributes
"We missed Gerry when she moved to Rochester. She would usually call or stop in if it had been awhile since she checked up on us! Dan can still remember the first time he met Gerry was when she was hanging out her laundry on our clothes line! We really enjoyed having her and Tom as our neighbors. Dan could get Tom to talk as he wasn't the most talkative one of the two! They are two people in our lives that we will always be thankful for, as they made an impression in our lives. Sending our love and sympathy to the family. we will send a memorial to the humane society here in memory of Gerry as we know how much the dogs meant to her. Please let us know when you will be coming to Grand Forks for Gerry's inurnment. Sincerely, Dan and Debby Anderson"
"I?m sorry for your loss my husband Ray Gensler he and Gerry would talk for hours and laugh it was fun listening to them"
"I worked closely with Gerry while serving as Assistant VP for Student Affairs during my 15 years at the University of North Dakota. Not only was she the nicest person on the planet, Gerry was greatly respected and was one of the best administrators I've ever worked with. Her professionalism and leadership was matched with a gift for connecting with students and colleagues that allowed her to accomplish much in the area of student health. Gerry leaves behind a legacy that family, friends and colleagues should be proud of. -Dean Schieve, Lakeville, MN"
"Thinking of wonderful times. God bless...DeloresLundsten"