Gerald Allan Stockbridge

With Jerry’s passing, we remember a long, full, and meaningful life marked by deep love for his family and a distinguished professional career.

He was born in Houston, Texas, to Vernon and Hettie (Hogan) Stockbridge and grew up on the East Side of Houston. He attended Stephen F. Austin High School and went on to earn a Bachelor of Business Administration from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, in 1953. It was there that he met two great loves of his life: Bette (Kothmann) Stockbridge, whom he married in 1953 and who passed away in 1992, and Betty (Hays) Stockbridge, whom he married in 1995 and who passed away earlier in 2026.

Jerry and Bette began their married life in San Antonio, Texas, in 1953. He served in the U.S. Army as a Specialist from 1954 to 1956. Following his military service, he began a long and dedicated career in the insurance industry. In 1963, he moved with his wife and their two young children to the Westbury area of Houston. Over the course of 40 years, Jerry held roles as an insurance adjuster, claims investigator, and claims manager, retiring from Cigna in 1995.

Family was at the center of Jerry’s life. He and his wives shared many happy weekends and holidays with extended family in Houston and San Antonio. Surrounded by a lively and loving group, there was never a dull moment—and Jerry was always the calm at the center of it all.

Jerry was preceded in death by his first wife, Bette Kothmann Stockbridge; his second wife, Betty Hays Stockbridge; his parents, Vernon and Hettie; his brother, Harold; his sister, Barbara; and his niece, Cheryl.

He is survived by his sons and their partners, Scott Stockbridge and Nuala Cullinane, and Jay Stockbridge and Julie Hiebiesen; Betty’s children and their spouses, Ginny and Tony Abiassi, Lori and Dan Maddox, and Camille Hays; his grandchildren and their spouses, Travis and Analisa, Shelby, Brooke, Trey and Jessica, Maddy and Jonathan, Stephanie and Patrick, Tony and Andrea, Andy, and Tyler and Susie; as well as eleven great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his nieces and nephews and their families, including Kay and Rick Martin, Ed and Denise Karstedt, Harry and Debbie Hieronymus, and Bill and Kathy Hieronymus.

The family extends heartfelt gratitude to Kerrisha Darby, his primary hospice caregiver, for her compassionate care, unwavering support, and kindness to Jerry and his family.

Most people are fortunate to experience one great love in their lifetime. Jerry was blessed with two—not by chance, but because of who he was. He was kind, calm, dependable, and deeply caring. He had a quiet sense of humor and a steady presence. He loved fully, as though it were the most important thing in the world—and in the end, it was.

“That Love is all there is,

Is all we know of Love.”

— Emily Dickinson