Gerald "Jerry" Vanderhoff Sr.

Gerald "Jerry" Richard Vanderhoff Sr, of Escondido, California, passed away peacefully January 12, 2026, at the age of 91, at the Veterans Home of California in Chula Vista. Born on April 24, 1934 in Detroit, Michigan to Iva Louise (Bunting) and Francis Ferris Vanderhoff, he was the eldest of five children. Jerry's parents divorced when he was a teen and Iva remarried Eugene De Felice who became a loving father to Jerry and his siblings and later an adoring grandfather to their children.
As a child Jerry loved singing songs on the local amateur hour, selling papers to buy treats and crafting things he invented. Jerry was fortunate to be born into a family of builders, the name Vanderhoff meaning, "from the house" in Dutch and explains why all Vanderhoff's love to build. Jerry began his training working as a laborer and carpenter in his grandfather's contracting business. Then, at age 17, he enlisted in the Marines during the Korean War. He received further carpentry training as a Private at Camp LeJeune in the US and was later stationed at Camp Itami in Japan and worked building products for the war effort. He also worked nights and weekends as the manager at the Sargent's Club, a job he enjoyed because he met so many people. He served from 1952, and was honorably discharged in 1954 when the war ended. Jerry was eligible for the VA home loan and offered it to his mother and siblings to buy their first home in Detroit, MI.
After the war Jerry met Joan "Shirley" Johnson; the two married and raised four children, Gerald Jr, Brian, Sandra and Candy in Rochester, Michigan. Jerry built the family a house in a rural area where they all enjoyed the solitude of nature, as well as, motorbikes, snowmobiles, a swimming pool and garden. Jerry and Shirley were a part of a close knit community on Gunn Road where together they shared their skills, enjoyed weekend potlucks and raised their children.
In 1973, Jerry and Shirley divorced. Jerry moved to Escondido, California and the following year Sandra joined him. In 1985, Jerry married Monica Pike, the love of his life. The two enjoyed playing cards with friends, traveling and made a cross country trip in their truck to visit family in Michigan and New Hampshire. The two had twelve happy years together until her passing in 1997. They lived in the Moon Glow Mobile Home Park, where Jerry lived until he moved to the Veterans Home of California, a skilled nursing facility that gave him exceptional care for his final two weeks.
Jerry was a member of the Lather's Union and then the Carpenter's Union until he retired. He was proud to point out the hospitals, shopping malls and office buildings he worked on around town, and especially the San Onofre nuclear power plant in California. Once he retired, he turned his skills toward his neighbors in the mobile home park, offering, often insisting, he would build them a shed, steps, a ramp or signs. He is responsible for the playground in the mobile home park that he designed and built as a gift to the children. When not suggesting to his neighbors on how he could improve their property, he fabricated all sorts of devices on his own home, folding footrest, hanging basket chairs, dressers, most notoriously, the winch-powered lift he built to access his roof so he could watch the sunrise over the mountains.
At age 86, he took up painting and offered his paintings of nature, animals, soldiers and mountains free from his front porch. Jerry was often seen riding his electric scooter with a red and yellow custom cart for his dog, Buddy, and chatting with his neighbors, all who kept an eye on him and he aged.
Jerry was an independent, strong and loving person, and despite his tough exterior he was loved by his family, neighbors and caregivers. He was a role model on how to live on one's own terms, working hard and offering what he had to anyone in need.
Jerry was fortunate to have his daughter Sandra near him in California for the past fifty years, as well as her four children who grew up close to their grandpa. In 1995, his daughter Candy joined him in California, too. She was his caregiver when he became ill and cared for him until he passed.
Four days after Jerry passed his little sister, Patricia Wilkerson, passed away in Michigan. Jerry is survived by his siblings Frank, Bill (Jackie) and David (Barbara). His children Jerry Jr, Brian (Michele), Sandra and Candy. His grandchildren Jason (Lonnie), Sara (James), Kevin, Leah, April (Ethan), Raymond, Autumn and Hunter, and great-grandchildren Easton, Sydney, Emily, Silas, Elias, Jake, and Leticia.