Emmet John Gerrity

Emmet John Gerrity died March 9 at his home in Boulder Creek, surrounded by his friends and family, at the age of 84.
Mr. Gerrity was born on Feb. 27, 1926, in Palo Alto to Christie and Sadie Gerrity. He attended Mayfield Elementary and Jordan Junior High and graduated from Palo Alto High School in 1944. In high school, Mr. Gerrity played football and three years of varsity baseball.
The day after he graduated from high school, with World War II in full swing, Mr. Gerrity boarded a train for the naval boot camp in Farragut, Idaho. He graduated as a seaman second class and spent two years stationed at Treasure Island as a ground crew member for the Naval Air Corps. Mr. Gerrity was honorably discharged in July 1944, with the rank of seaman first class.
Returning to Palo Alto, Mr. Gerrity worked as a spray-painter for Fisher Research Co.
He married Lorraine Slade in 1948, and the couple began their 62-year marriage.
In 1957, after seven years as a milkman for Peninsula Creamery in Palo Alto, Mr. Gerrity went to work for a small upstart electronics company in Palo Alto, beginning a 25-year career with Hewlett-Packard. He started in the machine shop and eventually retired from the Thin Film Lab, a division of research and development.
His only daughter, Kathie, was born in 1951. For the next 30 years, the family lived in Palo Alto and was active in the community and Catholic Church. 
Mr. Gerrity enjoyed many hobbies, including hunting, fishing, camping, bowling, woodworking, hand-tooling leather, gardening and following the history of World War II in books and movies. His great passion was following Stanford University sports.
In 1987, the Gerritys moved to Boulder Creek, where their daughter, Kathie, owned Boulder Creek Veterinary Clinic. In 1988, the family welcomed their first adopted grandson, Joey, from Paraguay, and 18 months later, they welcomed his identical twin brother, Marco.
For the next 21 years, Mr. Gerrity lived on Boulder Creek Golf Course and worked part-time as a marshal on the course. He attended all his grandsons’ recreational sports games, acted as the handyman for his daughter’s clinic and as a pickup- and deliveryman for Boulder Creek Auto Parts. He also enjoyed taking vacations all over the world with his family. 
In January, Mr. Gerrity was hospitalized and diagnosed with acute monocytic leukemia. At his request, he returned to Boulder Creek and his beloved home and family.
He is survived by his wife, Lorraine; daughter, Kathie Gerrity; and his grandsons.
Donations in his memory may be sent to the Lucile Packard Children’s Fund, www.supportlpch.org.