Edward Warner Gerhard

EDWARD WARNER GERHARDAugust 20, 1928 to December 7, 2022
Ed Gerhard was a "dessert-first" kind of guy. Not just because he was a gifted baker, but because he believed in savoring moments of pleasure. With him, there were no pre-requisites to treat yourself. Just being alive was enough.
Similarly, there were no barriers for Ed to serve others - with an uplifting joke, a random act of kindness or a listening ear. That may be part of why he excelled in various retail roles over the years. He'd often come home at night with stories of customers who'd come in to buy one thing and end up spending an hour working through their problems with him. It gave new meaning to the term, "retail therapy."
Little did those customers know that they were speaking to a man who'd been abandoned as a baby on the porch of a Pennsylvania home. A baby who'd been brought to the County Home in Kellersville, PA, and later adopted by the steward, Edward J Gerhard, and his wife, Eloda. When the local paper reported on the adoption proceedings, it described the baby as "an exceptionally bright little tot [who] is popular with everyone at the county farm."
From that county farm, Ed graduated from Pocono Mountain High School, and went to Baltimore and New York City to pursue his passion for floral design. He later returned to Pennsylvania to care for his aging parents, then married and started a family.
Regardless of whether you knew him as a florist, an entrepreneur, or a retail salesman you know that the job didn't matter. His commitment to working hard, doing his best, and boosting those around him was unwavering.
When he moved from Pennsylvania to Delaware over a decade ago, he quickly woo'd the ladies at the front desk of the retirement village by regularly bringing floral arrangements to brighten their office. When he left the hospital after a recent surgery, the nursing staff sent him off with a flurry of hugs and well-wishes. He told them, "I'll be honest - I never want to visit you again. But you're all welcome to come see ME anytime - you know where I live!"
Every Christmas, he'd make piles of cookies to share, particularly with folks who couldn't get out and might be feeling lonely. Every Easter, he'd make peanut-butter eggs to share. And (of course) there were donuts every Fasnacht Day.
He loved to entertain, always trying new recipes. He loved to knit, projects big and small. And he loved His Jesus, so so much.
Edward Warner Gerhard died on December 7, 2022. He'll be memorialized at First Baptist Church, 301 Walker Road, Dover, DE 19904, by Rev. Dan Taylor on December 16. There will be visitation at 11a, service at noon. Torbert Funeral Home, in conjunction with Laurelwood Ceremony in Stroudsburg, PA, will arrange the burial.
Ed's art brought lasting beauty to the world, and his kindness brought hope and joy to many weary souls. Now, Beryl (his wife of 46 years), his daughter Cara and son-in-law Mark, his grandchildren Sabina, Tegan and Sadie Grace, get to keep that legacy alive even as Ed is dancing in the streets of Heaven.