Gerald O. "Jerry" Follansbee Obituary (1938

Jerry Follansbee of Seattle passed away peacefully with his family at his side on April 11, 2010 at Highline Medical Center. Jerry was preceeded in death by his parents and infant son, Timothy. He is survived by his wife Naomi; son Joseph (Edith) and granddaughters Emily and Abbey; son Michael; daughter Stephanie; daughter Tricia (Sean) Johnson and granddaughter Natalie. He is also survived by his brother Reid (Diana), nephew Lonnie and niece Shanna. Jerry was born in Yakima, Washington, on October 19, 1938 to Gale P. and Mildred Hall Follansbee. He graduated from Zillah High School and married Naomi D. Wingardner on September 20, 1958. In 1962, Jerry's career as a Seattle Firefighter was cut short when he suffered a debilitating stroke. After a long recovery, he attended Central Washington University, and then the University of Washington Graduate School of Social Work. Jerry worked as a therapist at Mental Health North in Seattle and Good Samaritan Mental Health in Puyallup. After ten years in community mental health, Jerry worked as a hospital social worker at Providence Hospital and Medical Center in Seattle until his retirement in 1995. Jerry was a special person who had a great interest in issues of social justice and who worked to promote understanding of persons with disabilities. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends. A funeral service will be held at Our Lady of Guadalupe church on Friday, April 16, 2010, at 11:00 am. Burial will follow at Holyrood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the American Lung Association or the SIDS Foundation of Washington (NISSA).