Gerard Etzel

Gerard Etzel
Gerard Etzel, 89, of Southport, passed away peacefully with his family by his side; he was the devoted husband of the late Sharon Dunn Etzel. Gerard was born in New York City on December 5, 1933 to the late Paul and Isabelle McAllister Etzel.
After graduating from Georgetown University, Gerard received his MBA from NYU. Gerard was a proud Veteran of the United States Army and was stationed in Germany. After meeting his wife, Sharon, and a stint in Belgium, they settled in Fairfield, where they raised their daughter, Tyler. Gerard was the European Buying Manager for J.C. Penny Co., which was followed by a long and successful career with Merrill Lynch. He attended Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas whenever possible.
Gerard was an avid golfer and skier. He spent countless weekends in VT, pursuing these hobbies with his wife and daughter by his side. He enjoyed spending time with his many friends and family. He was also a world traveler and took his wife and daughter on many vacation trips, both abroad and within the United States. He enjoyed reading and was extremely knowledgeable about historical events. He loved baseball and was a diehard Mets fan. Gerard had a wonderful sense of humor, always cracking jokes wherever he went. He was a fantastic storyteller. He served on the Fairfield RTM and participated in many local events. Gerard was a resident of Fairfield for 47 years. His greatest joy in life was being surrounded by his family and friends.
He is survived by his adoring daughter, Tyler, his beloved grandson, Maximus A. Lyons, his devoted son-in-law, Neil F. Lyons Jr, as well as his new English Bulldog puppy, King Bo. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Thursday, October 19, at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Fairfield. Friends and family may visit on Wednesday from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. at the Spear-Miller Funeral Home, 39 South Benson Rd., Fairfield, CT. Share a memory of Gerard at www.spearmillerfuneralhome.com