Gerald T. McCann, husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on August 19, 2020, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He was born in Moose Jaw, Canada, October 24th, 1920. Jay as he liked to be called, was the first of 7 children born to Leo and Minnie (Tentler) McCann.
Jay worked on the 320-acre family farm with his brothers and sister in Lismore, Minnesota. Jay started his Army career in 1939, enlisting at Camp Robinson in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. His military career lasted nearly 22 years and most of that time was spent stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, CO, as an X-ray Technician. He spent all of WWII in the Pacific; most notable he was involved with the invasion of Okinawa. In 1951 he was stationed in Japan. Jay also served in the Korean War. In 1964 while stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii, he was selected to support the nuclear bomb testing on Christmas Island. In May of 2014 Jay went on the Honor Flight with several other Veterans to the WWII Memorial in Washington, DC.
In 1949 on a bitterly cold day in January in Lismore he married Rita Fath. In 2019 they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary, Jay and Rita raised five children mostly in Colorado Springs, CO.
While stationed in Japan Jay became an avid photographer, and from then on he recorded every event on film. His family loves to get together and relive those times with slide shows.
Jay was never idle. In the evening and on the weekends with the help of Rita and the kids he built two apartment buildings. Jay built the first 3-story in the Southgate area. After retiring from the Army he worked for the Civil Service at Fort Carson. That was still not enough; he then became a general contractor building many beautiful homes in the Broadmoor and Rock Rimmon area. Jay also helped his brothers get involved in building custom homes.
His wife Rita, children, Linda Richardson of Chandler AZ, Steve (Paula) McCann of Valdez, AK, Don (Carol) McCann of Anchorage, AK, and Genine ( Brian ) Coldrick of Colorado Springs, CO, grandchildren Matt, Jeffery, Cody, Audra, Alicia, Kristin, Chloe, Blair, Olivia, and great grandchildren, Andrew, Merrit and Miles, and brothers Bill and Jim survive Jay. His son, Lyle McCann, his mother and father, brothers, Dale, Vic, Jack, and sister Marge, preceded Jay in death.
A Celebration of Life is scheduled for Friday, October 23, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Paul’s Catholic Church located at 9 El Pomar Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80906 with full military burial to follow at Pikes Peak National Cemetery.
