Name: Viewing for Mark Douglas Gerhardt
Start: 2020-11-23T15:00:00.000Z
End: 2020-11-23T21:00:00.000Z
Location: Graham Funeral Home & Cremation Services

Mark Douglas Gerhardt, 72, passed from this world into the arms of Jesus on November 17, 2020, surrounded by his wife and his three children. He was born in Baltimore, MD of the late Oscar Frederick Gerhardt and late Ernestine Landers Keil. He was a graduate of Ferguson High School, â€˜66. He then earned his Bachelor's in Music Education from East Carolina University, â€˜71 and his Masters in Education from Ithaca College, â€˜72.

A lover of the teaching profession, he worked as a band director for 43 years in the Chesapeake Public Schools. He began his career in 1972 at Great Bridge Jr. High School where he was named Teacher of the Year. In 1973 "Mr. G" took over as Director of Bands at Western Branch High School where his ensembles consistently received top local and state honors. After 24 years at Western Branch, Mr. Gerhardt returned to Great Bridge Middle School where he retired after an additional 18 years of service. He also taught Music Theory and Appreciation at Tidewater Community College/Suffolk Campus. In the later years of his career, he was also active as an adjudicator at regional music festivals and competitions. In addition to his public school service, he served faithfully for 45 years in ministry in roles including church elder, teacher, music director, pianist, singer, choir director, composer and arranger.

Mark was preceded in death by his brother, The Honorable C. Edward Knight III. He is survived by his high school sweetheart and wife of 53 years, Betsy Johnson Gerhardt; daughter, Trish Gerhardt Mitchell and husband Mike; son, Eric Gerhardt; and daughter, Tracy Gerhardt Harsey and husband Randy; brother, Dr. Garry Brodhead; and eight treasured grandchildren.

Mark was a devoted husband, father and mentor. Betsy was his absolute soulmate and spiritual partner. He adored her and showered her with love and affection daily. His children were cherished by him, and his love, patience and gentleness were always present. He was an influential, caring, inspirational teacher; a mentor to many, youth and adult alike, throughout his life and career.

Viewing hours will be held Monday, November 23 at Graham Funeral Home, 1112 Kempsville Road, Chesapeake, VA from 10:00am - 4:00pm. Viewing hours with family will be 4:00pm - 8:00pm. Please be aware that due to COVID-19, your time with the family may need to be brief.

The Celebration of Life service will be held at Kempsville Presbyterian Church, 805 Kempsville Road, Virginia Beach, VA on Tuesday, November 24, 11:00am, Pastor Ronnie Bunch and Dr. Benjamin Williams officiating. All are welcome to attend; however, due to COVID restrictions, there is a 225-person maximum capacity. A live stream option will also be available. Internment services will be held following the service at 3:00pm, Peninsula Memorial Park, 12750 Warwick Blvd., Newport News, VA. Please visit www.grahamfuneralhome.com to offer a note of encouragement to the family.

*Masks and social distancing will be required at all services.

In Mark's honor, memorial contributions may be made to The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation or The Alzheimer's Association.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Virginian-Pilot on Nov. 22, 2020.

Memories and Condolences
for Mark Gerhardt

Sponsored by the family.

23 Entries

Stephanie (Smith) Harmon

November 16, 2022

Your family (your mom & dad) and you kids were such an important part of my teenage years living in Western Branch - yall modeled what a family that follows Christ is like, and puts Him first place in their lives - Your dad was a wonderful man, and I know he heard "well done,good a faithful servant" a year ago! thinking you as the anniversary of his Heaven homecoming comes up!

Robert Chase

December 8, 2020

I am very sorry to hear Mr. Gerhardt passed away. I knew Mr. Gerhardt when I was in the 5th Grade because my sister was first in band from 1990 to 1994. Than I became a student of his first when I was in 8th Grade than later I was in the Western Band Marching Band from 1990 to 1994. I Always think of the High School Days. Mr. Gerhardt Was An Amazing Teacher. He Give So Much His Heart & Time to his Students. Mr. Gerhardt Thank You For Everything. May Mr. Gerhardt Memory Always Be A Blessing. God Bless The Gerhardt Family At This Time Of Loss.

Robert Chase
Class of 1994
Western Branch High School

David Meisner

December 1, 2020

Thank you so much for sharing “Mr. G” with us. He spent so many long hours on nights and weekends away from the family traveling with the band in marching competitions, band camp, football games, and regional music competitions. His wonderful instruction in music gave me a giant leap of musical knowledge when I moved up to the high school band in ‘76. Also, he always had something interesting and enjoyable in store for us musically, whether it was a trumpet section gig at his church for the weekend or playing in the pit orchestra for productions of “Oliver” or “Bye Bye Birdie”. I will always cherish those great memories, as well as his mentoring and influence on the direction of my life. I was never really good at auditions, but when Mr. G happened to be one of the anonymous judges when I was trying out for regional band one year, just to hear his calming voice behind the wall was just what I needed to have the confidence to rally and finally do well. I didn’t go into the musical field as a profession, but after all these years I still play and perform, and still strive to the high standards that he expected. Wishing you all peace and comfort during this difficult time.
Dave M (WBHS, ‘80)

Louis Miller

November 25, 2020

I was the president of the Band Parents Association for many years. Both of my children were in the band and enjoyed his class. I traveled many trips with him and have fond memories of the time we spent working together. My condolences to Betsy and his children I will always remember my friend .

Pam Watson

November 23, 2020

I loved Mark and spending time with Mark and Betsy was wonderful!!
When Betsy’s mom, my Aunt Dot was ill. I traveled with my mom to Virginia for a visit! There were several other Winstead siblings visiting. And one point Mark and I realized we needed some deserts to feed this crew. We volunteered( snicker! snicker. :-) to go to the store to get a “few” sweets!!! Wellll we kind of lost all sense of moderation and ended up with several of many choices!! AFTER sampling them all!!
It was a fun, silly time I will always remember!
Thank you to Mark in Spirit for being the perfect husband for Betsy and the perfect father, friend, cousin, teacher and soo much more!

Nancy Graves ( Meisner)

November 23, 2020

Mr Gerhardt was my favorite teacher in high school. I was in the marching band from 75- 79.
He worked tirelessly with us out on the field in the heat to get us a good routine for our halftime shows. Always so patient, I never heard him raise his voice in anger. And getting a few dozen kids to figure out how many steps to march forward , left flank, etc would make anyone irritable.
So many great memories.
My condolences to his wife and children. Please know Mr Gerhardt was loved.

November 22, 2020

So sorry to hear about your loss. You know that God and Jesus are in the best position to comfort us when we lose a loved one in death.

Mary Ann Plichta Brown

November 22, 2020

Condolences to Mark's immediate and extended family. When I think of Mark from our days at Ferguson High School, I recall him in his FHS band uniform with a huge smile on his face. He was a talented musician.

Larry Knight

November 22, 2020

I am sorry to hear of a Ferguson High classmate passing away. I do remember Mark as being a band member even though we never met. His love of music served him well. The Honorable C. Edward Knight III was my half-brother, our father having been married to Mrs. Kiel. Best wishes going forward to the family. Mark was apparently a good and much loved man.

Rachel Twiford

November 20, 2020

My condolences to the family. Mr. Gerhardt was a wonderful teacher and fostered my appreciation for band. His class was what I always looked forward to during school. He will be truly missed.

Charlie and Sue Mann

November 20, 2020

It was a pleasure to know the Gerhardt family. We enjoyed singing in the choir, directed by Mark. It was my pleasure to work with his children. I enjoyed lady’s fellowship time with Betsy. Our prayers are with the family as they walk through this difficult time. We also celebrate with you all as you rejoice in Mark’s entry into his eternal home where you have the hope of joining him some day.

Stephanie Smith and Joe Harmon

November 20, 2020

Mr. Gerhardt and his wife were so instrumental in mentoring me in my new Christian walk as a teenager. I sang in the JOY group all during high school and a few years thereafter, and as gifted a musician as he was, he always emphasized Bible study - a habit that has endured my whole life - My condolences to the family, his wonderful wife Betsy and sweet children Trish, Eric and Tracy that I had the privilege of babysitting!
Love, Stephanie (Smith) Harmon and Joe Harmon

Jameson Strassburg

November 20, 2020

Mark Gerhardt. My Mr. Holland. He and Lenny Vaughn were the reasons I became and educator. Truly one of the greatest men I have ever known. Yeah I was that pain in the butt kid... he will never know how much he influenced me and taught me about music and about life, and honestly about being a man.

So many memories and stories I don't know where to begin... To the Gerhardt children... I never got to meet all of you, Tracy and Eric, the years we spent together... I hope you can see how special your dad was to so many people. Mrs. G... from the bottom of my and so many of our hearts... thank you. Thank you for the gift of your husband. For the gift of his time.... As an educator I know how many hours it takes, let alone the hours a man like your husband gave... the sacrifice you and your family made to the betterment of 1000's of kids lives like us. Thank you for sharing him with us. The weeknights, the weekends, the summers and falls... I thank you... he was almost a surrogate dad... honestly I spent more time with Mr. G during my 4 years of high school... esp during marching season than I did with my own dad...

My favorite memory of him... despite the millions of times he yelled my name...both good and bad... (I really did have two left feet). Was band camp drill down my senior year and the look on his face when I was the last one standing.... he of course gave me hell for it, (as he did with me for four years)... but his smile, and the nod he gave - the type that only two men would understand... he was proud of me. He didn't have to say it... I just knew. The kind of look a proud father gives his son... no words spoken... the nod said it all. That is my favorite memory of Mr. G.

You are so well known... you influence so widespread... two of my band director friends at the two high schools I taught at... sent their condolences to me... one never met him, the other knew him when he was a young teacher first coming into his own... knew of Mark and his program.

Rest easy Mr. G!!!

till we meet.... AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGAAAAAAAIIIINNNN!

Yours in Christ,

Jameson Strassburg

Charlie Burts

November 20, 2020

So sorry to hear of Mark Gerhardt's passing. I followed Mark as director at Western Branch HS after he'd build the program for 24 years. (GULP) Many teachers know how daunting that can be! Before I moved to Chesapeake that summer, he couldn't have been more supportive in helping me to coordinate band camp from afar, connecting me with all of the right people, places, and things. He even found an apartment for me! We talked often that first year, as there was always something that needed to be solved. I can't imagine surviving that time without him, and am forever grateful. My prayers for his family!

JoAnn Ingalls Higdon

November 20, 2020

He was a truly wonderful teacher. Anyone who knew him or had him as a teacher is definitely better off having known him. May his spirit soar high on the wings of eagles. WBHS Class of 87

Sherrie (Hunter) Weiss

November 20, 2020

My fondest memories of high school are all intertwined with the marching band, and I owe that to Mr. G., who very kindly allowed me to be a part of it all by letting me tag along as a band manager/pit crew. The wonderful environment that he created within the marching band was a direct reflection of his leadership and love for his students. He inspired me to encourage my sons to stick with band so they could hopefully have that same marching band experience that Mr. G. cultivated. My 9th grader is now in marching band (in PA) and the memories have been flooding back this fall. I see the difference the marching band is making in my son’s life and I know Mr. G. made that same difference in thousands of lives. Thank you Mr. G! What a legacy!
Tracy, my heart goes out to you and your mom, siblings, his grandchildren and everyone who loved “Mr. G”. He will be missed and thought of every time we hear that marching band drum line coming!

With sincere condolences,
Sherrie (Hunter) Weiss
WBHS ‘93

Betsy and family, we were devastated to hear of Mark's passing. We enjoyed your f

November 20, 2020

Jim

Geoffrey P. Gamble

November 20, 2020

In loving memory of a wonderful man.

I first met Mr. G when I auditioned for elementary school band in the 6th grade, and he remained my band instructor and friend through graduation from Western Branch high school in 1981 and beyond.

He fostered a love of music, marching band, and developing leadership skills for so many in the Western Branch school system. I'm sure he's enjoying a well-deserved rest, in the company of a heavenly orchestra. May he rest in peace. My thoughts and sincerest sympathies are with his wife and family.

Richard Czypinski

November 19, 2020

I am so sorry to hear of his loss. He was one of my most treasured, if not the best, teacher I had the privilege of learning under, both in terms of my music development and my personal and spiritual development growing up. He taught me things that are priceless, and I often still think back to my interactions with him during class, out on the field in marching band, and even after class and on school buses during competitions, football games, and on band trips. He was a great person, one of the best I have ever met in my lifetime, and because of him, I have many great memories of my school days at Western Branch. I remember seeing him in a mall a few years ago, maybe a decade or two ago, and I was so happy to see him again, even if for just a couple of minutes. I know he is now in the hands of Jesus and I look forward to seeing him again in heaven. I have missed him long before now, over the years, but I am saddened to hear of his passing, and offer all of his family my condolences, and I pray for healing and comfort for everyone else who knew and loved him.

T Jonathan Hargis

November 19, 2020

Prayers to the family. I had the honor of being the Band Director at Western Branch for 3 years in the early 2000’s. Mark left a huge piece of himself in that band room. From the music library and the awards you could feel the mark he left after so many years of teaching at the “Branch”.

David (Rabbit) and Caroline Barnes

November 19, 2020

Such a wonderful man.... prayers for all in family. Wonderful legacy...

November 19, 2020

Please accept my condolences . I'm so sorry for the loss of your loved one. May the word of God comfort and strengthen you in moments of distress.
2 Thessalonians 2:16,17

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