Gerald Franklin VanDoozer peacefully passed away on December 22, 2015 at the age of 70 in Portland, Oregon. Known to many as “Uncle Jerry”, he will be a man missed for his humor, his passion for life and for his light hearted and kind spirit.
Jerry was born on April 27, 1945 in Portland, Oregon. He grew up with his older sister Sally and younger brother David. Jerry lived his entire life in Portland and was a proud graduate of David Douglas High School. After High School Graduation, Jerry tried to join the U.S. Military but was not eligible due to a health condition. He met and married his wife of 40 years, Carol and they settled in the Park Rose area of Portland and began their family.
Jerry was a good dad and he worked hard to provide for his family. He had many different jobs over the years, as he always had his sights set on bigger and better opportunities. He owned several taverns and night clubs throughout town and he bought and sold cars and eventually came into a career of automobile wrecking and recycling. Through every position or job he held, Jerry was always a wheelin’ deain’ kind of guy and never could really hold onto his money for too long. He put a priority on making sure his kids had clothes, food and any toys they wanted and he could be accused of spoiling his family to a certain extent.
Throughout his life, Jerry lived with a great joy and passion. He was never someone who could sit still, and as a result he had many hobbies and interests. Most days he was up at 6am, making sure the dog was fed and walked and then he would begin his errands which often involved making several phone calls on his cell phone. He loved cars and specifically had an affinity for Corvette’s. He enjoyed going to car shows, tinkering on cars, listening to music in cars, or just thinking about cars he wanted to buy at some point. He loved going to the beach, he loved eating and had special foods that he would eat in certain situations or locations. He loved Keno and traveling to Spirit Mountain Casino. Most days, if you were looking for Jerry, you simply had to spend enough time by his local 7/11 and sure enough, Jerry would show up there to get his allotment of Keno or Powerball tickets. Of everything he loved, it was his family that took the top prize. He was proud of his children and grandchildren, and would often times find unique and thoughtful ways to show he cared. Jerry always included his pets in his family, and his furry companions of Rambo, Tessa, Shadow and Princess provided him with much love and joy over the years.
Jerry is survived by his former wife of 40 years Carol, his son Dusty and daughter Heidi and her husband Robert. His grandchildren Madison, Drew and Drake, his siblings Sally and David and his “adopted” son Kerry Kennison. He will be deeply missed by many nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.
The nicknames of “Uncle Jerry”, “Monkey”, “Balls”, “Slim” and “Chili Dog” are only a few that Jerry answered to. His unique traits such as keeping his keys, his money and his lotto tickets on top of his head, in his hat will be things the family will remember forever. Uncle Jerry’s unique style was always infused with love and his generous and big heart will be treasured forever by all who knew him.
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