Gerald James Gyes proved this to be true from his first day April 13, 1926 to his last April 27, 2021. Gerald (Jerry) was the son of Fred Ben Gyes and Jessie Honor (Hancock) Gyes. of Stanwood, WA. Jerry lost his father at age 7. Jerry also had a younger sister Grace Ann Hancock who passed away when she was just age 4. Jerry was raised by his loving Mother and Aunt Grace and Uncle Harold Carlson.
Jerry was always fiercely patriotic and he joined the US Navy at age 17. He accomplished this by convincing his stubborn Mother to sign a waiver and accelerating his studies so he could get his high school diploma early. He served as a Communications Specialist on the USS Bayfield during WWll. He was on the ship during the battle for Iwo Jima. He had many stories and much information to share. He was very excited when we were able to investigate information on the internet about the USS Bayfield and the ship commander that he remembered. He was even more excited to find his memory had been correct. Jerry was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1945 and in the fall started school at Washington State University. Jerry tried several courses of study at WSU and at one point he was even taking courses in Veterinary Studies. Eventually he received a BS Degree in Business. Jerry liked to tell stories about his classes and friends he made at WSU. Until just a few years ago he was still purchasing Cougar Gold Cheese which was a fund raiser for WSU. Jerry had a lifelong interest in World Economics and how it related to the US economy. Jerry always had a radio close to his bed so he could fall asleep listening to the sporting events (baseball was his favorite) and wake up early to catch the morning Stock Exchange activity.
Although it was one of the saddest days of Jerry’s life it was a beautiful day in Seattle February 17, 2015 as we drove to Tahoma National Cemetery to place Saki’s ashes. Jerry was able to reminisce about how he and Saki had driven to the valley many times for work and errands.
They worked together starting out at the Renton Boeing plant where they had met carpooling. Saki always drove and Jerry helped navigate. After numerous carpooling adventures together they were married November 18, 1967 in Reno, Nevada. Back at the Boeing plant you could find Jerry working as a purchasing agent and Saki as an administrative assistant. They worked for Boeing and relocated to four different Boeing plants together before eventually retiring in 1986.
After retirement Jerry and Saki traveled the world together. The first cruise was a Trans-Atlantic for 21 days. After this cruise Jerry was so happy to find that Saki enjoyed traveling as much as he did! In fact, Saki took it upon herself help plan the next adventure. Jerry said they saw many beautiful and lively places together. Their last big trip together was to Hawaii where they visited the Pearl Harbor memorial and reflected on what it meant to each of them.
After many trips to different locations around the world Jerry and Saki enjoyed spending time at their Seattle home located in the Magnolia neighborhood. You could find him working on his investments and following the local sports teams on most days. Saki spent much of her time cooking, sewing, gardening, and shopping.
Saki especially enjoyed looking at recipes and experimenting with new ones. Jerry was delighted to try out the food and said that Saki was a great cook!
Although they came from different backgrounds and cultures, Jerry and Saki’s lives blended together beautifully. Theirs is a true love story.
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