Jerome Gonnella

Jerome "Jerry" Paul Gonnella, 87, of Loveland, Ohio, passed away peacefully on April 9, 2026, at Hospice of Cincinnati.

Jerome was born on December 3, 1938, in Detroit, Michigan, to Thomas and Mary Ruth Gonnella.

He proudly served his country as a veteran of the United States Air Force. He later earned his MBA from the University of Cincinnati in 1985 and built a long and meaningful career. He worked at Cincom Systems for 34 years and went on to share his knowledge and passion by teaching at Northern Kentucky University for many years.

Jerome was a man of strong faith and deep community involvement. He was an active member of St. Lawrence Catholic Church and a devoted member of the St. Lawrence Council #14545 Knights of Columbus. He also served as a Past Faithful Navigator of St. Isaac Jogues Assembly #0801 and was an active member of the Greater Cincinnati Chapter of the Knights of Columbus, as well as Kolping Cincinnati.

He was a proud member of the Order of the Sons and Daughters of Italy, where he currently served as chaplain. He especially loved participating in their traditions, including the well-known ravioli dinners hosted by the Cincinnatus Lodge in Cincinnati, events that brought people together and reflected his love of community, culture, and fellowship.

Jerome was a lifelong learner, always eager to grow, most recently studying the Italian language. He never met a stranger, he had a gift for conversation and made everyone feel welcome.

Above all, Jerome's greatest joy was his family. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, and nothing meant more to him than the time he spent with his children and grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Mary Gorman Randolph Gonnella; his children, Don (Patsy) Brown, Sharon (James) Lavespere, Thomas Gonnella, Amy (Michael) Mays, Bridget Gonnella, and Rebecca (David) Swain; his siblings, Theresa Gonnella Marvin, Cecilia (Thomas) Petree, John Gonnella, Rita Piekutowski, Victoria (Edward) Karrat, Gertrude Gonnella Hawthorne, Gregory (Kathleen) Gonnella, and Gabriel (Donna) Gonnella; his grandchildren, Kristopher Brown, Marie (Thomas) Davenport, Matthew Todd, Emily (Bo) Vitale, Tyler Mays, Luke Gonnella, Adelyn Carr, and Alfie and Louis Swain; and his great-grandchildren, Thomas and Marcie Davenport, Braxton and Harper Brown, and Vincent Vitale.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas and Mary Ruth Gonnella; his first wife, Ruth Ann Perkins Gonnella, the mother of his five children; his siblings, Daniel Gonnella, Mary (Ronni) Gonnella, Agnes Nicklas, James Gonnella, and Miriam Gonnella Macke; and his granddaughter, Amber Todd.

A funeral Mass will be held on Monday, April 13, at 10:00 AM at St. Lawrence Church in Cincinnati, Ohio.

In accordance with his wishes, Jerome donated his body to the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine for medical study.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to a charity close to your heart.

He will be deeply missed and forever remembered by all who knew and loved him.