Gerald (Jerry) Tucker, 85, of Marblehead, passed away peacefully on Sept. 19. A true “Header,” he was born in Marblehead to Dorothy and Emerson Tucker and raised in the shadow of Abbot Hall on Washington Street until graduating high school. He enlisted in the Army in 1958 and proudly served until 1963, when he returned to his hometown.
A car and motorcycle enthusiast, he loved to tinker on vehicles in the driveway but rarely kept a car for more than a few months before moving on to the next “project.”
Later in life, he found the hobby of building birdhouses from scraps of wood he would find at his part time employer, Gilbert and Cole. Many of those birdhouses can still be seen in yards around town.
A dedicated first responder, Jerry was a Marblehead police officer in the early 1970s until he moved to the Fire Department, making lifelong friends, working there until his retirement. He was a proud member and former board member of the local chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2005. He was also a founding member of the Gerry 5 VFA, joining the club at the age of 15, when it started in a friend’s garage.
He is survived by his three children, Jerry Jr. (Kathy), Glenn (Beth) and Anne Marie. Also, his former wife LeeAnn (Rick) and his brother, Tom. He is predeceased in death by his brother Frank and sister Linda. He truly loved his seven grandchildren, Olivia, Caroline, Zachary, Gabrielle, Madeline, Jack and Max, as well as his newest great-granddaughter, Harper.
Visitation hours for Jerry will be held at Murphy Funeral Home on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 4-7 p.m. There will be a graveside service the following morning, Sept. 25 (which would have been his 86th birthday) at Waterside Cemetery at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Marblehead Veterans Post 2005. For more information and online guestbook, please call Murphy Funeral Home at 978-744-0497 or visit murphysfuneralhome.com.
