Geraldine Small Pace

Geraldine “Jerry” Small Pace passed away peacefully at the age of 100 after a long, beautiful life marked by sweetness, steadiness, and an authentic gift for loving others. Born February 18, 1925, in San Diego, California, she was the daughter of Floyd A. Small and Maura Grijalva Small, parents whose gentle and loving natures she carried throughout her own life. She grew up on Florida Street with her beloved siblings, Elmer and Marie (“Dede”), enjoying a happy childhood and later graduating from San Diego High School, where she was active in many activities, always full of energy and enthusiasm – traits that would define her life.

The greatest blessing of her youth came when she met Dean Pace in junior high. Their friendship, solidified by a charmingly misspelled love note calling her his “angle”, blossomed into a deep and enduring love. They married on February 7, 1943, just before Dean left for military service during World War II, beginning a union defined by devotion, humor, and abiding loyalty. Together they welcomed three children: Kenneth, Marie, and Marcia, building a home where family always came first. Through Dean’s influence, Jerry embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ and was baptized in 1948, later being sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple. Her family is comforted by the knowledge of Jerry’s steadfast faith in eventually reuniting with her beloved Dean, who preceded her in death.

Jerry spent her life creating warmth wherever she went. She served faithfully in many church callings, including the Young Women organization, the Relief Society presidency, and later alongside Dean during their cherished service in the England London South Mission. She was a talented seamstress whose roadshow costumes often helped her ward take first place, and she worked for many years at Memorial Medical Center, where her kindness left a lasting impression.

A gifted tennis player and passionate fan, Jerry competed enthusiastically and won tournaments well into adulthood, always displaying her trademark smile and contagious laugh – the laugh her family will always remember fondly. She loved to travel with Dean, exploring the world together and returning with gratitude for the full, joyful life they shared. Their homes in Salt Lake, San Diego, and later Mission Viejo became hubs of family gathering, stories, holidays, and generations of love.

Jerry is survived by her three children, thirteen grandchildren, thirty-eight great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren, each of whom felt personally cherished by her.

Jerry filled more than a century of life with kindness, laughter, joy, devotion, and faith, leaving a legacy to family and friends who are forever blessed by knowing the radiance of her presence.

A memorial will be held at Wasatch Lawn in Millcreek, Utah on Saturday, December 6th, 2025 at 1pm MT, with a viewing at 12pm.