Gerald "Gerry" Laakso

Gerald “Gerry” Frederick Laakso, beloved husband, father, grandpa, great-grandpa, and brother passed away surrounded by loved ones on Tuesday, August 2nd 2022. Gerry was a longtime resident of Mission Viejo, CA.

Gerry was born at Brown Memorial Hospital in Conneaut, OH on August 25th 1934. He grew up in Conneaut and spoke fondly of Conneaut his entire life. He played football, basketball, and ran track for Conneaut High School in addition to playing American Legion baseball on a Conneaut team that finished 2nd in the state of Ohio to a Cincinnati team led by future major leaguers Russ Nixon and Sparky Anderson. Gerry graduated from Kent State where he played football his freshman year and was coached by Don McCafferty, Super Bowl winning coach of the Baltimore Colts and later the Detroit Lions. He was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity chapter at Kent State and President of Kent State alumni chapters in both Michigan and California. Gerry loved to travel and in his later years lamented the fact he had visited every state except Alaska.

Gerry was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Carole Pauline Laakso, his mother Bertha Marie Laakso (Kokko), his father William Kaarl Laakso, and son Chris Matthew Laakso.

Gerry and Carole loved to play bridge and enjoyed the many wonderful evenings spent with their Mission Viejo bridge group.

Gerry will be dearly missed by his sons David Laakso (Linda), Timothy Laakso, Jeffrey Laakso (Kristen), daughters Lisa Ceklosky (Laakso) (Robert), Kristen Ziencina (Laakso) (Chris), Pamela Karam (Laakso) (Richard), and Kimberly Pengilly (Laakso) (Chris); twenty one grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren. Gerry will also be missed by his brother William Laakso (Patricia) and his sister Darla Dysert (Laakso) (Thomas), along with all the co-workers and customers he worked with during the 50+ years he spent at Daubert Chemical Company.

A celebration of life will take place for Gerry at Pacific View Memorial Park, Corona del Mar, California on September 17th, 2022 at 11am. Memorial donations can be made to the Alzheimer's Orange County, 2515 McCabe Way, Suite 200 Irvine, CA 92614, phone: 949-955-9000, email: [email protected].