Gerald Lee Serres

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Gerald "Jerry" Serres , a remarkable man whose life was marked by adventure, dedication, and love. Jerry left us on May 26, 2025, at the age of 58, leaving behind a legacy of strength, passion, and kindness.

Jerry is survived by his beloved wife, Jill; his cherished children, Allie and fiance Ryan Lindfors and Sean and daughter-in-law Alex; brothers, Randy (Jackie) Serres and Dave (Carla) Serres; sisters, LuAnn (Carl) Gieschen and Judy (Mark) Graves; brother-in-law, Todd (Stephanie) Kreutzian; and many loved nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his loving mother, Frances L. Serres; father, Gerald J. Serres; sister, Mary Beth Serres; brother, Ronnie Serres; father and mother-in-law, Bruce and Nancy Kreutzian; and beloved dogs Missy, Malibu and just four days after Jerry's passing, his best girl Maggie went to be with her favorite person.

Jerry attended Randolph Schools, playing football, basketball, baseball, track and theater productions. Always an athlete, he completed two Ironman triathlons, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to pushing boundaries and embracing life's challenges. Throughout his life, Jerry exemplified resilience and determination.

After high school he attended trade school, and after proposing to Jill, he decided to go into the military. He served proudly in the United States Air Force as crew chief of F-16 Fighterjet 534, dedicating four years to his country. They returned home to Minnesota so Jill could finish college and to start a family. Jerry worked at WhipAir at Fleming Field in South St. Paul and at Stanton Airport, honing his general aviation skills. In 2000 he opened Quality Aviation, Inc. and became the FBO at Faribault Municipal Airport. He built QA from the ground up, finding amazing employees along the way. His work ethic and his way of working with others built a strong and thriving business that made him extremely proud.

Jerry never missed a tennis match, baseball game, musical, basketball game, or any other events involving his kids during their high school and college years. He taught them to love life and to seize every opportunity to be kind to others. His compassion and love for people were qualities he passed down to his children-Sean, who works with kids, and Allie, who supports those with disabilities. Jerry's greatest accomplishment in life was his children, who will carry on his legacy of love and compassion everyday.

Jerry and Jill were married for 38 years. Together they embarked on an incredible journey together, traveling extensively and immersing themselves in the wonders of the world. They trekked through the majestic Himalayas and spent days exploring the vibrant streets of Kathmandu and its surrounding villages-an adventure that topped Jerry's bucket list. Jill longed to witness the magnificent wildlife of Tanzania, so they made that dream a reality as well. Their travels took them to enchanting places like Paris twice, Bermuda, Spain, Italy, Thailand, France's Normandy region, Belize, and more. The "list" of adventures was long and neverending.

He was a member of First English Lutheran Church and sang in the church choir for many years (he didn't have a choice, since Jill is the choir director).

He lived life exactly the way he wanted-full of purpose, hard work, passion, love and authenticity. Jerry's adventurous spirit and generous heart touched everyone fortunate enough to know him. Jerry's legacy will continue to inspire us all. He will be dearly missed and forever remembered.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, June 5 from 4-8 pm at The Grand 02 Event Center, Cannon Falls. A memorial service will be on Friday, June 6 at 11 am, with visitation from 10-11 am, at First English Lutheran Church, Cannon Falls. A military honors farewell will follow outside of church. This service will be live-streamed and available to watch below. Please join the family for sweets and fellowship after.

Active urn bearer will be Todd Ulrich. Active flag bearer will be Jerry Reinardy. Honorary urn bearers will be Sean Serres, Owen Kreutzian, Todd Kreutzian, Sawyer Dahl, Randy Serres, Dave Serres, Mark Graves, David Schwietz, Dominic Ryan, and Mick Murphy.

LIVESTREAM INFORMATION: For those who would like to participate in Jerry’s service via livestream, you can watch the service on Friday, June 6, 2025 at 11:00 am. It can be viewed by scrolling to the bottom of this page and click PLAY to begin. Please leave a message of support on our Tribute Wall to let the family know you were able to watch the service. If you are having troubles with the Livestream, the service will be available to watch later in the day.