Michael Francis Gerrior

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved brother, uncle, and friend, Michael (Mike) Francis Gerrior, who left us on March 26, 2023, at the age of 64. Mike passed away peacefully in College Place, Washington, following an ongoing battle with diabetes.

Born in July 26, 1958, in Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina, to the late Joseph (Joe) and Sondra (Klofkorn (Sandy)) Gerrior, Mike grew up attending both Catholic and secular grade schools before graduating from Vinita High School in Vinita, Oklahoma, class of 1976. He went on to earn his Registered Nurses (RN) degree in Oklahoma between 1976 and 1980, while also dedicating many additional college university hours towards his lifelong passion of art.

Mike proudly served his country enlisting around 1980, serving for nearly eight years in the United States Navy, training extensively in the medical field and working as an Advanced X-Ray Technician. His military career took him on incredible assignments abroad, including postings in Italy and the Antarctic (Operation Deep Freeze). Following his honorable service, Mike continued his medical career as a Radiology Technician, working in various hospitals across the country, which included five years of full-time traveling.

Beyond his professional life, Mike was defined by his generous heart and his creative spirit. He was an exceptionally talented artist, though he never built a personal collection. Instead, facing limited living space, he found profound joy in creating beautiful paintings, sketches, pottery, and handmade baskets specifically to give away to those he loved. Mike was a consummate gift-giver; he poured his time into making and sending personalized cards, seldom forgetting a birthday or Christmas. If time didn't allow him to create something by hand, he made sure to buy and send a card or thoughtful gift to show he was thinking of them.

Mike also had a deep love for animals, sharing his life with a succession of beloved Schnauzers and the occasional Scottie dog. Mike cherished connections. During his years traveling across the United States for work, he intentionally made time to seek out, visit, and truly get to know distant relatives he had only ever heard of. He also formed deeply meaningful, long-term friendships outside of the family, always making the effort to stay in close touch.

Mike was preceded in death by his parents, Joe and Sandy Gerrior.

His memory will be kept alive and forever cherished by his surviving family: his four brothers of Oklahoma: James Gerrior, Joseph Gerrior Jr., David, and Robert Gerrior, along with their spouses. He is also survived by his three nephews: Devin, Brian, and Jonathan; his six nieces: Ashleigh, Tiffany, Valerie, Elizabeth, Emily, and Erin; as well as multiple grand-nieces, grand-nephews, and many dear friends.

Following cremation, a Military Memorial Service was held on Wednesday, June 29, 2023, at 9:00 AM, at the Fort Gibson National Cemetery in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made in Mike's honor to either:

Schnauzer Friends Rescue and Adoption, 10558 Mill Road, Cincinnati, OH 45240

The American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 7023, Merrifield, VA 22116-7023