Gerard Michael Zangari

To Gerard Michael Zangari, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, he was a performer in the theater of life. To everyone around him, he seemed to be eternally happy, and he willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life he touched. For Gerard, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, he could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. Gerard really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.

Gerard was born on April 21, 1999 at Brick Hospital in Brick Township, New Jersey. His parents were Mark and Denise. Gerard was raised in Brick Township, New Jersey; Acworth, Georgia and Kennesaw, Georgia. Even as a child, Gerard had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around him. He was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. He couldn't help but capture everyone’s attention. He was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, he succeeded in entertaining his entire family.

Always a good playmate, Gerard was easygoing and fun loving. He managed to lighten the mood wherever he was, even during family squabbles. He seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, Gerard managed to find a satisfying solution to basic problems. Gerard was raised with four siblings. He had one older brother, Alex; one younger brother, Joe; two older sisters, Victoria and Claudia.

All of Gerard's playful good humor carried over into his childhood. He was possessed with an outgoing personality, a lively imagination and a mellowed enthusiasm for life that allowed him to be constantly on the go. As a result, Gerard experienced a rather active childhood, and this suited him very well. He took part in basketball, cycling, skating, bowling and fishing. In his spare time he liked cooking, landscaping, working with tools and entertaining friends. Gerard's memorable achievements included setting up his own landscaping business,"Two Brothers on the Job. Gerard was very good at holding disco parties, haunted houses, carnivals and other neighborhood events.

Gerard never actually encountered a stranger in his dealings with people. He was drawn to individuals and crowds, using his gregarious, adaptable and outgoing personality to captivate his audience. This quality allowed Gerard to continually develop new relationships, ever widening his circle of friends. Gerard delighted in his role among all his acquaintances, because he viewed them all as potential spectators for his performance. Whether it was a story, a joke, a song or just plain fooling around, Gerard was always right at home putting on a show among his friends. Gerard utilized his interest in others as a great way to connect with them. While growing up, some of his best friends were Alex Francese, Gianni Linfante, Don Rappoccio, Joey Howell, Raven Fitz, Kaitlyn Jones, John McEvoy, Cole Banias, Colin McMahon, Marjorie Pawlowioz, Alec Trabattoni, Sam Fondonella, Bridget Dwyer, Tori and Ryan Leonard, Jade Baguio, Michael Thompson and Matty O'Malley. Later in life, he became friends with Cooper Hutto, Mason Poole, Matthew and Stephen Osborn, Matthew Chiaravalloti, Tyler Flugstad, Stephen Thorpe, Sean Dwyer, Shane Leonard, Cory Kacmarsky and especially his brother, Joe. Gerard loved sharing life and having his home filled with people he knew.

Vested with a deep concern for spiritual development, Gerard recognized that his faith was important to him throughout his life. He was a member of St. Dominic's Church for 10 years and St. Catherine of Siena for one year.

Naturally outgoing and generous, Gerard was regularly doing things for others. For him, the gift of giving to others was second nature. Though he never set out to gain individual recognition, Gerard was given accolades for his many and varied accomplishments throughout his life. Some of his most prestigious awards included Relay For Life Cancer Survivor.

Living life in the fast lane suited Gerard just fine. It is no surprise that he loved to travel and to visit new and different places. He was naturally curious about other parts of the world and loved the real life adventure that came from visiting them. He was impulsive and willing to try anything once. Favorite vacations included Give Kids the World, Make a Wish Foundation, and vacations to Florida, California, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Gerard was a lover of animals and cherished his pets, enjoying them almost as much as he enjoyed being around other people. Gerard's favorites were Daisy, a West Highland White Terrier and Sammy, a guinea pig. They were best friends for Daisy for 3 years and Sammy for 4 years.

Gerard passed away on July 21, 2010 at his home in Kennesaw, Georgia. He is survived by his parents, Mark and Denise; his siblings, Alex, Victoria, Claudia and Joe. Services were held at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church.

Gerard brought joy to all of those around him. He never had a mean bone in his body. He loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. He loved to share his energy, wit, and his zest for all of his activities with his friends and family. Gerard Michael Zangari lived life to its fullest and made everyone around him happier just for knowing him. He will be remembered with a smile.