Kenneth William Gerry Jr.

Pastor Ken Gerry died unexpectedly on December 17th in Norfolk, Virginia at the age of 70. Ken is survived by his wife of 37 years; Nancy, their two sons Kenny and Christian, and his granddaughter Amelie. He is also survived by his younger siblings; Michael, Karen, Dawn, and Melissa. Ken was born on November 29, 1952 in New York City to Kenneth Gerry Sr. and Janet Pfeifer. He and his family moved to Maryland from New York in 1970. He attended Paul Smith's College and the University of Maryland, and became a restaurateur and small business owner in the DC metropolitan area. In a dark season of his life he moved to Vermont to be close to family and had an encounter with the Lord. His life was never the same. He then moved to upstate New York to attend Pinecrest Bible Training Center, where he met his wife, Nancy Galaska. They married in June of 1985. Soon after, Ken and Nancy were called to minister to the underserved community of Oceanview in Norfolk, VA, where they pastored the congregation of the Open Door Chapel. Pastor Ken later served as Pastor of New Life Christian Center for 36 years. They watched the neighborhood change over the years; ministering and loving on anyone who came into their path. He also evangelized in churches and communities all over the United States, and did missions work in over 20 countries. Ken loved music, cooking, eating, and the New York Yankees. He played guitar at the church and anywhere else they would let him. One of his fondest memories was playing guitar in New Orleans at Mardi Gras with his friend Landon Spradlin and other musicians. In his younger years he was a chef and restaurateur and continued his love for cooking and eating by feeding the community and anyone who came into his home. Ken was an avid fan of the New York Yankees ever since his days as a little boy in New York. In later life he was involved in community sports through Coach Dwight McDowell and the EOVBAA, and his son Christian helped rekindle his passion for baseball through his own love of the game. A Celebration of Life is scheduled for Thursday, December 29th at 3921 Pleasant Ave. Norfolk, VA 23518. Pastor Tony Peaks will officiate the ceremony. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Ken’s life. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to The Storehouse Ministry (https://www.storehouseusa.com/donate/). The family would like to thank the staff at Sentara Leigh Hospital for their kindness and care in Ken's final hours. They would also like to thank Operation Blessing, and The Church of Pentecost for the generous use of their facilities.