Norm Gero Obituary (1942

Gero who fought a horrendous three and a half year battle with ALS died peacefully in his home on January 26, 2018 with his family at his side. Norm was born and raised in Connecticut. In 1960 he moved to Los Angeles to attend college where he graduated with a BS in aeronautical engineering. Norm was the first member of his family to graduate from high school and from college. He was hired by North American Aviation in LA after graduation. There he worked on a part for the Gemini space program. Norm then served in the US Navy from 1965 - 1969 and relocated to San Diego after his discharge. He went to work for the County of San Diego where he worked for the next 30 years. For many of those years he was a very well respected subdivision inspector in the East County. Norm met his wife Kathy at the tide pools in Point Loma when he gave her his jacket to wear because it was a cold February morning. They were married in 1973 and raised two incredible children. In 2008 they followed their daughter and moved to Washington settling in Kitsap County. Norm then began his final careers: grandpa and world traveler with Kathy. He traveled to more than sixty countries. He climbed the Great Wall of China, danced in St Mark's square in Venice at midnight, zip-lined in rainforests, rappelled and parasailed, swam with dolphins and snorkeled with sea turtles, saw his first opera in Verona at the ancient Roman amphitheater and tried gelato in every town that had a shop. He especially loved the trips he was able to take with his entire family. Family was always number one to Norm. He was a loving and devoted husband to his wife Kathy for 44 years. He also leaves behind his two children and their spouses Melissa and Chad Scialabba and Nicholas and Jennifer Gero. He also was Papa with his five adorable grandchildren: Christian, Samantha, Christopher, Claire, and Hannah. Even though the ALS kept him attach to a vent he fought to spend as much time as he could with his family. Norm couldn't speak for the last three years of his life but he used a Boogie board to write his side of every conversation and later a MegaBee to communicate when he loss the use of his hands. Norm never loss his sweet gentle nature and through it all everyone who met him was greeted with that amazing smile. Norm will be buried with honors at Tahoma National Cemetery, 18600 SE 240th St, Kent, WA 98042, at 11:30 on February 5, 2018. The family requests donations to the ALS Foundation to help find a treatment for the disease or to the Friends of VA Puget Sound Fisher House. PO Box 18253 Seattle, WA 98118 that houses and cares for vets families next to the hospital while the vet is in the hospital in lieu of flowers.