Gerald A. Souter

Gerry Souter was born on September 12, 1940 in Buffalo, New York and grew up on Chicago's south side. He attended South Shore High School, where he served as a company commander in the school's ROTC and was co-captain of the high school rifle team. In 1962 he graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago earning a Bachelor in Art Education degree with Honors in Photography and it was there he met his wife Janet, a marriage that lasted nearly 60 years. Following graduation, he was hired as an art instructor at P.T. Coe Elementary School in Arizona and worked as a security guard for the Arizona State Guard and Detective Agency.

He left teaching to pursue his first love-photojournalism-and served as staff photographer for the Yuma News Enterprise, and later for the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Committee on Urban Opportunity, an arm of the Federal "War on Poverty" project.

In 1967 he struck out on his own and for the next seven years as a freelance photojournalist, writer and artist, he produced filmstrips and wrote and illustrated magazine articles. Many of these projects took him to locations such as Africa, northern Europe, the British Isles, Alaska and Hawaii.

Later, he was hired by Motorola's Marketing Services Department, where he produced award-winning videos focusing on the company's communications products. In 1985 he joined Motivation Media, Inc., a business communications production house, writing and producing multi-media programs, many of which received high honors in the industry.

In 1995 he and Janet started their own company, Avril 1 Group, Inc. and during the next 25 years, they wrote more than 50 traditionally published books focusing on American history, biographies and fine arts. Three of those books covered Arlington Heights history. They often gave power point lectures based on those books to libraries and veterans' groups. In recent years, Gerry used his highly creative skills writing historical fiction with vivid, powerful action scenes, along with memorable, quirky characters, not unlike Gerry himself.

In spite of dealing with dialysis treatments three times a week, Gerry had enough boundless energy to participate in Tuesday figure drawing classes and the old-time radio drama group where he honed his talents for mimicking voices such as Monty Woolley, the Great Gildersleeve and "The Shadow."

His main hobby was model railroading and he won numerous awards for his intricately detailed modules and realistic "weathering" of the engines and freight cars.

He was an affectionate and tender husband, a proud, supportive and devoted father and a fun-loving grandpa. He will be sadly missed. The world is so much grayer without him.

Gerry is survived by his spouse Janet (nee Winkels) Souter; his children Damienne (fiancé Patrick Jugovic), Allison and Collin (fiancee Kerry Finegan) Souter; his granddaughter Anna Trippiedi; his sister-in-law Jeri Winkels; as well as his brother-in-law Larry MacDonald.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Memorial Visitation Saturday, November 5, 2022 from 9:30am until the time of the Celebration of Life at 10:30am at Glueckert Funeral Home 1520 North Arlington Heights Road (4 blocks south of Palatine Road) Arlington Heights, IL 60004.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Buddy Foundation, www.thebuddyfoundation.org/donate or the Kidney Foundation of Illinois, www.nkfi.org

Information and condolences can be given at www.GlueckertFuneralHome.com or (847) 253-0168.