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Gerald Allen Kubly
March 3rd, 1941 – December 17th, 2009

Celebration of Jerry's Life Event information is located at the end of the biography...

"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal."
~from a headstone in Ireland

Gerald Allen Kubly was a uniquely kind man who was tireless in his dedication to his job and family. He was always gentle, but also determined. He never shied away from a task and never complained.

Born on March 3rd, 1941, Gerald spent most of his early years in Monroe, WI, located a short distance southwest of Madison, WI. His parents were Esther E. (Skattum) Kubly whose parents were originally from Norway and Glenn L. Kubly whose parents were originally from Switzerland, both from Monroe, WI. He had two siblings: his older brother, Roger Kubly, and his younger sister, Glenda (Kubly) Fritsch, who both presently reside in Monroe, WI.

Jerry graduated from Monroe High School in 1959. He then joined the National Guard, Company B, 32nd Red Arrow Division and served in active duty at Fort Lewis, WA from 1961 to 1962. He became a journeyman electrician after completing an electrician apprenticeship program at Wisconsin Power & Light. This would become his lifetime career.

After completing his apprenticeship with WP&L, Jerry gained over 40 years of maintenance electrician experience. He worked 36 years at various plants in the Janesville, WI and Beloit, WI areas for Alliant Energy (formerly Wisconsin Power & Light) before retiring and moving with his family to the Pacific Northwest. There, he resumed work: first for CryoFuels, where he worked for 2 years and, finally, at Seattle Public Utilities' water department, where he worked for 5 years. He was beloved by his coworkers for his vast knowledge and expertise, his commitment and strong work ethic, and for his kind and friendly demeanor.

Jerry met Patricia Ann Warner when they both worked together at Franklin Lanes in Janesville, WI, where he was a youth bowling coach, bartender and bowler. They married on May 12th, 1979. Their son, Aaron James Kubly, was born on May 25th, 1980 in Janesville, WI. Their daughter, Elizabeth Anne Kubly, was born on September 9th, 1981, also in Janesville, WI.

In the summer of 2000, Jerry moved with his family to the Seattle, WA area where they remain. His wife, Patricia, currently works as an Administrative Assistant in Bothell, WA. His son, Aaron, graduated from DigiPen Institute of Technology in 2003 and currently works as a Software Engineer in Redmond, WA. His daughter, Elizabeth, graduated from the Gene Juarez Academy of Beauty in 2001 and currently works as a Software Test Engineer in Redmond, WA. She married Steven P. Kihslinger, of Milwaukee, WI, on August 5th, 2008 in a beautiful ceremony at a castle in rural Ireland.

Jerry was raised in St. John’s United Church of Christ in Monroe, WI. After he moved to Janesville, WI he became an active member of the Church of Christ located there. This was the church in which he raised his children.

An avid Green Bay Packer fan, Jerry was a proud member and sponsor of the Northwest Packer Backer’s Association in the Seattle area. He was also an animal lover and made donations to the ASPCA, The Humane Society of the United States, and the Seattle Humane Society. A fan of the arts, he also made donations to The Seattle Theater Group and KCTS Public Television. Other charities that he supported were Help Hospitalized Veterans, Hopelink, Toys for Tots, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

He enjoyed bowling, camping, and playing card games (especially Sheepshead) in his free time. He was a lover of music and passed this trait onto his children.

Anyone who knew Jerry would agree that he could easily be described as a teddy bear. He was big, warm, and gentle. He treated everyone with the same kindness, generosity, and compassion that he treated his own family, and certainly didn’t have a single enemy. He passed these same traits onto his children, which he would probably say was his greatest accomplishment in life.

After surviving valiantly through over thirty years of Coronary Artery Disease and associated health difficulties, including two Quadruple Bypass surgeries, Jerry passed away on Thursday, December 17th, 2009 at Stevens Hospital in Edmonds, WA at the age of 68. He went peacefully upon the removal of life support after having spent three days in a coma following an interruption of his breathing during his sleep in the early morning of Monday, December 14th. He is survived by his wife Patricia, son Aaron, daughter Elizabeth, son-in-law Steven, and cats Mister and Missy.

"Thank you for the inspiration.
Thank you for the smiles.
All the unconditional love,
That carried me for miles.
But most of all, thank you for my life.

These were the best of times.
I’ll miss these days.
Your spirit lit my life each day.
My heart is bleeding bad,
But I’ll be okay.
Your spirit guides my life each day."
~'The Best Of Times', Lyrics by Mike Portnoy

"The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand."
~Vince Lombardi

A celebration of Jerry's life, silent auction of his Christmas gifts, and donations in his memory to benefit The Donald Driver Foundation - http://www.donalddriverfoundation.com/ will be held on Saturday, January 30th, 2010 from 1:00 to 3:00pm at the Mustard Seed Grill & Pub (food and beverages will be provided):

5608 119th Avenue Southeast
Bellevue, WA 98006-3754
(425) 603-9001
http://mustardseedgrill.com/
http://www.northwestpackerbackers.com/