Mr. Arthur Joseph Gekiere

Arthur Joseph Gekiere was born in Detroit, Michigan on January 22, 1915 and passed away in Dallas on March 4, 2013 at the age of 98. He was a first generation Belgian American and proud of his Belgian heritage. He joined the Belgian American Businessmans’ Association at age 21 and was a member until his death. Art was fluent in Flemish, the native language of both his parents. His mother, Mary, was born in the United States, and his father, Emil, came to America in 1912. Emil became an American citizen in 1915, the year his only child, Arthur, was born. In 2006 Art wrote his memoirs and was able to trace his lineage back to his great, great, great grandfather born in 1683. Art was a retired Detroit Police Lieutenant. After his retirement he and his wife, Bertha, spent their time traveling in the US, the Caribbean and Europe. Art took up golf at the age of 60, getting a hole in one at age 73 and playing until he was 89. His other hobbies were varied from camping to stamp collecting. In order to be close to family, Art and Bertha moved to Dallas in 1996 where they enjoyed meeting new people and becoming involved in their retirement community. Bertha, his wife of 62 years, passed away in 2001 at age 84.

Art is survived by his son Larry and Larry’s wife, Suzy, his three grandsons, Larry, Jr., Roger and Chuck, his daughters-in-law Kim and Betsy and his four great grandchildren Carter, Riley, Kathleen and Jon Robert. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday, March 11 at 11:00 am at Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church, 9643 Ferndale Rd in Dallas. A reception will follow the service in the Parish Hall. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Senior Source, 3910 Harry Hines, Dallas, TX 75219.