Jesse Michael Schertz

It is with great sadness that the Schertz family announces the death of Gunner Jesse Michael Schertz of the United States Marine Corps. Jesse passed away unexpectedly on July 9th, aged 44, when he was tragically struck by a vehicle in Stafford, VA.

Jesse was born on December 4th, 1976 in Clintonville, WI. He graduated from Clintonville High School in 1995, where he enjoyed football and playing cards with his friends in a shack that they built together in his grandparents' woods. He then enlisted in the Marine Corps and set out for boot camp. At the time, Jesse had no idea how much of an influential marine and Hero he would become to his family and the Marines he served with. It wasn’t always easy and there were a lot of hardships for Jesse and his Marines throughout the years. All of these hardships paled in comparison to the many special moments that they shared, and the feeling of accomplishment he gained by doing the "job” that he so loved. Little did Jesse know, his first duty station at the Marine Corps Security Force Company in Rota, Spain would be one of the most pivotal periods in his life. During this time, Jesse met a beautiful Spanish woman, Maria Galán Urréjola from San Fernando, with whom he fell head over heels in love. When his time in Rota, Spain came to an end, he asked her to come with him to the United States, and he married her on April 11, 1998 at the age of 22. They later had two amazing children, Sara, who is now 21, and Nicholas, 19. They made their first home in Jacksonville, North Carolina, where the family remained until his retirement. They all shared the military life together, capturing memories in their hearts with many deployments and welcome home parties.

Jesse served two tours in Iraq and two tours in Afghanistan, along with many other deployments to other countries spanning several months. To say that he traveled the world would be an understatement. He loved the life that he built and enjoyed every place he went. His travels were memorialized in a collection of snow globes that he frequently sent home to his daughter, Sara.

He retired from the United States Marines Corps in 2018 after 24 years of honorable and faithful service, and began his next career with Aimpoint where he was able to continue his passion working alongside the United States Military. He then moved his family to Charlotte, North Carolina, where they lived for three years. He and his wife soon realized that they missed living near the ocean and military communities, so they uprooted and moved to Norfolk, Virginia just two months ago. In those two months, they settled into a house and worked together passionately to create the perfect home for their family.

Being a Marine Gunner in the Marine Corps, Jesse was passionate about going to shooting ranges, where he worked tirelessly on his marksmanship skills. He used these marksmanship skills while enjoying several hunting trips at various locations with his father, brother, and uncles in Wisconsin. Another passion he had was his family. Jesse loved and would do absolutely anything for them. Maria and Jesse’s love for one another is the kind of love you could only find in fairytales. They were so incredibly in love with one another. His wife was his whole world, and he was tirelessly devoted to his two children. He loved supporting his son’s passion for music, and he helped Nick expand his collection of studio equipment to develop his skills. Jesse's parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews were always on the top of his priority list as well. He made his nieces and nephews feel so loved and protected, always thinking of them, sending them the perfect gifts on holidays and sometimes just because. When he saw them, Jesse made it a point to make them feel special, always joking and having fun with them. He is known to them as the "crazy fun Uncle." His recent enjoyment was taking walks with his gorgeous wife Maria in their new neighborhood and exploring all of the little cafes it has to offer.

Jesse was an extremely hands-on person who could fix or make absolutely anything. He enjoyed designing and creating all sorts of projects, with woodworking being one of his favorite pastimes. Jesse created and built cases for his many awards and honors and most recently built a lounge and outhouse for the squirrels in his backyard, because he was just that fun, crazy kind of person. He was the kind of person that couldn’t settle for simple, he loved to take that simple and deck it out. If you have had the privilege of seeing his beloved Jeep, you would understand his creative vision and how he viewed his belongings.

Jesse is survived by his spouse, Maria Schertz, his two children, Nicholas and Sara, and her partner Alan. He is also survived by his parents, Duane and Brenda Schertz, his sister Mindy and husband Tim Heiman, his brother Kolby and wife Katy Schertz, his nieces and nephews Taylin, Cade, Brantley, Lilianna, and Kinsley, along with many Aunts, Uncles, Friends and his Marine Corps Family. He is preceded in death by all four grandparents, his father-in-law, and his brother-in-law.

The Schertz family will be holding a Celebration of Life at the VFW Hall, located at 111 A. View Ave, Norfolk VA 23503 on July 31st, 15:00-22:00 (3:00pm-10:00pm). A burial at Arlington Cemetery will follow a few months later. The family requests a donation to Arlington Cemetery in lieu of flowers.

They would like to thank the Marines, Aimpoint, Tom, Autumn, Thane, Denise, JC, neighbors Adam and Eve, and many other friends, family, and neighbors for their outpouring support during this difficult time. All of the love, prayers, and support has been greatly appreciated, and is a testament to the Marine Corps Motto "Semper Fidelis:" Always Faithful…