Gerald Michael Churich

Gerald (Jerry) Michael Churich passed away peacefully at his home on February 2, 2021 at the age of 83.

His loving wife Joan was by his side.

Jerry was born in San Francisco. As a young boy his family moved to Guerneville along the Russian River of Sonoma County - a hot spot for families in the summertime. Since his family lived there year round they were dubbed with the nickname of the day, "River Rats". During those years he worked as a young farmer: raising rabbits, feeding pigs and chickens and harvesting crops. Through self-determination he also became an excellent swimmer, a skill that landed him a coveted job as lifeguard during his high school days. Then, in his early 20's, he happily moved back to San Francisco, was scouted at a gym and became a professional boxer. This led to money-making bouts in Los Angeles. He never lost a fight. In 1967, following in the footsteps of his father, brother and uncles, he became a San Francisco Longshoreman. That was the same year he met a New Jersey girl, Joan Attalla. He would always say "she had to come 3,000 miles to find me". They were inseparable right from the start and were married at St. Peter and Paul church in San Francisco on November 28, 1970. A few years later they embarked on a cross-country trip with their friend Herb. They partied at Mardi Gras in New Orleans, explored the Grand Canyon and large swaths of the US. Throughout their 53 years together Jerry and Joan continued to indulge their passion for travel with trips to the Caribbean, Australia, Tahiti, Europe, Alaska and frequent stays at Lake Tahoe, a place they adored for its natural beauty. When at home they often hosted parties and dinners for friends and enjoyed welcoming family members from the East Coast, sharing their pride in California. Joan always raved about what a great domestic partner Jerry was - a rare man of his generation who shared household duties and chores as homemaker, house cleaner, souse chef and party planner. Of his personality, he was well known as an outgoing, straight talker who willingly expressed his opinion on nearly any subject - a memorable character indeed.

Jerry is survived by his devoted and beloved wife Joan, sister Shirley James and husband Ken, brother Warren and wife Lorraine, nephew Kevin and wife Caroline and niece Sabrina. He is also survived by his many east coast in-laws, which included his sister-in-law Lois Alexander and husband Scott, sister-in-law Marion Seymour and partner Rai Jakovics and her sons Harrison Boyce and wife Michaela, Hamilton Boyce and partner Amy Huber and countless cousins. Last but not least, he is missed by his furry feline friends, Zena and Zeus, who continue to wait for him at the door.