Gerald Cottrell, formerly Oconto Falls, died Tuesday, April 19, 2016 at Kindred Hearts in Shawano, following a long illness. He was born January 15, 1934 to Howard and Mattie (Woodruff) Cottrell in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He graduated from Oshkosh High School in 1951, and spent the next 3½ years with the U.S. Navy in Asia and the Pacific. He married Gloria Schwark, the love of his life, on April 16, 1955 in Medford, Wisconsin. They shared their 61st anniversary together. In 1960, Jerry graduated from UW-Madison with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. While in Madison, Jerry and Gloria studied the Bible, and on June 25, 1960, they were baptized as Jehovah's Witnesses. After Jerry's graduation from college, the couple moved to Kansas City, MO where he worked for Armco Steel Corp. They spent the next 8 years in Missouri until they moved back to Wisconsin when Jerry's father became ill. He was employed by Wisconsin Public Service in Green Bay. In 1980, he developed an associate degree program in Electrical Power Engineering at Mid-State Technical College, Wisconsin Rapids, where he remained until his retirement. Jerry continued his education, earning his master's degree from UW-Stout, almost obtaining his doctorate in education. His students kept in touch with him through the years. He was a member of Wisconsin Alumni Association and WEAC. Jerry and Gloria were very gregarious and hospitable. They spent decades as caregivers for various family members, and opened their home freely to people who needed temporary shelter during difficult times in their lives. Jerry's stories and jokes will be greatly missed. His hobbies included boating, camping, fishing, and computers. One of his joys was riding along the highway in his RV on a new adventure. He cherished his grandchildren and loved taking them places. He loved teaching people about the Bible.
He was preceded in death by his son Michael; his parents; siblings Myrtle, Howard and James; stepmother Pearl and stepsister Joan.
A memorial service will be held on May 7 at 2:00 p.m. at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, 506 S. Chestnut, Oconto Falls with James McClure officiating. Jerry will be buried next to his son, Michael, in Evergreen Cemetery, Algoma, WI. Please visit www.swedbergfuneralhome.com to express condolences.