Gerald Irvin "Jerry" Birch

Gerald I (Jerry) Birch, 84, of West Des Moines, Iowa, ended his journey on earth peacefully and was received by his Lord and Savior on March 12, 2026.

Jerry was born in Dubuque, Iowa on February 22,1942 to LeRoy and Rita (Stecker) Birch. He was in the first graduating class from Wahlert Catholic High School in Dubuque, Iowa in 1960.

Jerry served his country in the United States Navy from 1960-1964 and spent the majority of his duty on board The U.S.S. Essex and U.S.S. Saratoga, both aircraft carriers, serving as a Radio Operator. While being stationed on the East Coast, it was there that he met his wife Carol (English) of 46 years. They were married in Orange, MA on August 22, 1964. Their honeymoon was the drive back to Dubuque where they began their life together raising their three children.

Jerry used his Navy training as a Radio Operator and began his 35 year career working for Northwestern Bell climbing telephone poles. In 1978, he moved his family to Ankeny, IA and was instrumental in creating the circuit boards for 911 calls and the new Iowa lottery in 1985. Jerry received an award for his work installing communication systems to the Red Cross, National Guard, and police during the flood of 1993. He later retired from US West as a communications specialist in 1999.

Jerry spent his retirement on both working and playing on the golf course and working part time at Hy-Vee. In his spare time, he loved playing golf, bowling, and was an avid Green Bay Packer and Iowa Hawkeyes fan. Most of all, he loved spending time with his family and being outdoors on his acreage in St. Mary's, IA.

Jerry is survived by his daughters, Janaan Reeves of West Des Moines, Tracy (Donald) Wheeler of Ely, IA; son Eric (Angie) Birch of Kansas City, MO; six grandchildren, Austin, Gage, Jordan, Zachary, Collin, and Macy; three great-grandchildren, Ari, Krew, and Maverick; brothers, Ronald and Richard Birch of Dubuque; sisters, Donna Spark of McHenry, IL and Debbie Meyer of Dubuque; and many nieces and nephews.

Jerry was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Carol, and his brother, Steve Birch.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Compassus Hospice-Palliative Care.

For those unable to attend in person, the service will be livestreamed here on Jerry's obituary page.