A military memorial ceremony will be held Friday, Oct. 17 at 11:30 a.m. at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in Point Loma for Gerald “Gerry” Reeves, 76, who died from complications of pancreatic cancer at the Veteran’s Hospital in La Jolla.
Gerry gave it a gallant fight and passed away Aug. 27, 2014.
He will be missed by all who knew him as a kind and generous friend and mentor. He was positive, witty, a word master and always willing to help and give encouragement. His favorite phrase was “Fight On!”
Gerry worked as a reporter and editor for several newspapers including the San Diego Union Tribune. He lived in El Cajon. He found his love of writing at an early age and founded his own neighborhood newspaper. He became interested in photography and was seldom seen without his trusty Nikon.
He became interested in music at a young age and was a talented violinist. He was passionate about Broadway musicals, movies and stage productions.
Gerry was very involved in the community theater in San Diego. He worked with Scripps Ranch Theater, Powpac Community Theater and was actively involved with the Lamplighters Community Theatre. He worked for The Rose Bowl and BCS Games in the press box and loved it!
He is survived by his sister Patricia Milius (Bill), longtime friends Doug Matheson and Mark Loveless and his San Diego family, Chuck Loveless, Ron Larson and Brenda and Duane Leake. In the late 1960s, he married Susan Loizeaux and they later divorced.
He attended the University of Southern California and graduated with a degree in journalism and with many life-long friends. He later joined the U.S. Air Force and was a public information officer at Castle Air Force Base.
He later attended Boston University and graduated with a Masters in public relations. Ever looking for new challenges, he worked for Lewis and Associates in Los Angeles and Cubic Corp in San Diego.
After his retirement from Cubic, Gerry was a volunteer at the Midway Aircraft Carrier, the San Diego Trojan Club, and the Del Mar Fair.
His handle was Derek on the Genesis and Andros gay bulletin board services in the 1980s and 1990s. He was born Oct. 3, 1937 in Kansas City, Mo. and his parents were Lowell and Helen Reeves.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in his name to the USC Athletic Department or to Lamplighters Community Theatre, 5911 Severin Dr., La Mesa, CA 91942, Attn: Judy Hughes.
