Gerald G. Okerson

Gerald G. Okerson, 83, of Stafford passed away on Saturday, March 22, 2025.
He was born on September 17, 1941, in Selma, CA to Ruby Jewel and Cecil Okerson. He grew up in Amarillo TX and graduated from Palo Duro High School in 1959. Education was very important to Gerald, and he was one of the top in his class. He also was an avid tennis player and loved going dancing. During his summers he worked combines spending summer months travelling to various states.
Gerald enlisted in the Army from 1961 to 1967 and had an illustrious military career as a US Army Linguist and Interpreter. He spoke Russian, German, Spanish and French. After getting an honorable discharge, he attended Texas Tech University where he received a Master of Arts degree in 1972. He re-enlisted into the Army until 1977. During his time in the Army, Gerald earned several meritorious achievement awards. He taught foreign language classes at Texas Tech University and Corpus Christi Miller High School.
Gerald later moved to Maryland and worked with prosthetics at Walter Reed. In 1985, he was a computer programmer for Army military personnel at the Hoffman Center in Alexandria, VA where he met Nola. They married in 1990 and later bought a house together in Hayfield Farms, where they lived for 28 years. Gerald and Nola were faithful members of the Fairfax Church of Christ, and the Washington Saengerbund. They had a new home built to better suit Gerald's physical needs in Stafford, VA and moved in April of 2020.
Gerald never had children of his own but treated Nola's adult children and grandchildren as if they were his own. He was a very generous and compassionate man, donating to many charities and helping those who needed it all through his life. Gerald never met a stranger and shared his love for history and life experiences with anyone that would lend an ear. He was highly intelligent and loved solving sudoku puzzles daily and watching Jeopardy with Nola.
He is survived by his wife, Nola Binnig Okerson; his stepson, Dennis Lee (Linda); his stepdaughter, Gretchen Lee Gray (Lamar Johnson); his step-grandchildren, Breanna, Andrew, Amanda, and Nathan; his brother, David Cargill and sister-in-law, Patty Cargill; and numerous nieces, nephews, and wonderful caregivers throughout his later years.
Gerald was preceded in death by his parents, Cecil and Ruby; his brothers, Leon and Dale; and his stepdad, Bill Cargill. A celebration of Gerald's life will be held at 5:00 PM on Friday, March 28, 2025, at Covenant Funeral Service – Stafford. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The National MS Society.