Gerald Earl Widdows

Gerald Earl "Doc" Widdows
Gerald Earl "Doc" Widdows, age 93 of Scottsdale, Arizona passed away Saturday November 16, 2024 at HonorHealth Shea Hospital with his loving wife Glynna Widdows, his son, Ronald Widdows and Granddaughter, Kasie Widdows at his side.
Gerald was born on August 15, 1931 in Brigham City, Utah.
He was the only son of the late Lillian Johnson Knight
He is survived by his wife, Glynna Widdows, his son Ronald Widdows, daughter-in-law Laddawan, two grand-daughters; Belle, Kasie, two grandsons Reagan and Tyler and a great grandson Milo.
Gerald served in the United States Navy from 1947 to his retirement in 1970, rising to the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer, HMCM. He loved the Navy and was proud of his service to our country.
He married the former Glynna Maxwell on March 20, 1951 during the Korean War, and they had a beautiful marriage over 73 years.
During his 23-year Navy career, they relocated to many duty stations living in, San Diego, California (3 times), St. Louis Missouri, Guam, M.I., Kodiak Alaska, Seattle Washington, and Subic Bay Naval Base in the Philippines. Glynna followed him to all those duty stations, working for the Navy in a number of Civil Service positions over the entirety of Gerald's naval career.
During his "sea-duty" he served on the USS Tioga County, an LST landing troops during the Korean War, and deployments on the USS Klondike, a repair ship during the Vietnam War.
After retiring from the Navy in 1970, Gerald moved the family back to Seattle and had a second career with the Baker Linen Co. where he retired after 20 plus years managing their warehouse operations.
In mid 90's Gerald and Glynna sold their home in Woodinville, Washing and moved to California to be near Glynna's sister.
Shortly after Ron moved his family to Scottsdale, Arizona in 2016, from nearly 18 years in Singapore, Gerald and Glynna sold their home in Lincoln Hills, California and moved to Scottsdale to be close to Ron and his family.
Asked to reflect on some of what brought his dad the most joy and made Gerald so special to him follows.
Among my dad's great joys were hunting, fishing, and being in the outdoors. He grew up in Utah where his maternal grandfather taught him to hunt and fish, and he spent his teenage years with other young men who would become life-long friends hunting outside of Brigham City. He taught me to hunt and fish and we spent many years together doing what he loved; he was my teacher, my outdoor guide, my best friend not just my dad, and it was such a joy to spend time together whether it was camping and fishing in the Sierra's in California, duck, goose hunting in Kodiak, or on the tide flats of the Snohomish, deer hunting in Alaska, or fly fishing for brown trout on the Madison River in Montana.
After I moved overseas in the early 70's to pursue a career in shipping, my dad got a Chesapeake Bay Retriever puppy he named Shanny. She became not just his hunting partner and they developed what was a rare love between a man and his dog. It was one of the great joys of his life and they were inseparable for years until Shanny's passing. After she passed, Dad's love for that dog and the depth of their relationship prevented him from getting another dog and his hunting days diminished after that.
He was a voracious reader, especially late in life when he was no longer physically able to do the outdoor activities he loved, and my dad and I shared a love for the same genres and many of the same authors which was another source of material for our almost daily conversations. His favorite book was "The Old Man and the Boy" by Robert Ruark, a tale of a boy who was taught about the outdoors, hunting, fishing and life lessons of how to be a gentleman by his grandfather, a story remarkably similar to how he grew up with his grandfather in Utah.
A quote from that book, "The best thing about hunting and fishing,' the Old Man said, 'is that you don't have to actually do it to enjoy it. You can go to bed every night thinking about how much fun you had twenty years ago, and it all comes back clear as moonlight." Sure was true.
Until nearly the day he passed, My dad would retell the stories of the outdoor adventures from my childhood much like the Old Man in the Old Man and the Boy and I will never forget the joy that every tale brought to him.
Doc as his friends and many who know him called him was liked by everyone who met him, always quick with a smile, a great story-teller especially about his experiences in the Navy, and a never ending flow of "Doc-sim's" that always raised a chuckle. His friendly, chatty personality and warm nature were always on display.
He was a great husband, father, grandfather, best friend and an even better human being. He set a great example for us all about honor and commitment to one's family and the country he loved. We will miss him deeply but the many memories we have of him warm our hearts and will keep him close always.
Gerald will be interned at the National Military Cemetery in Phoenix, Arizona on December 4, 2024.
It was Gerald's wish that in lieu of flowers or gifts that donations be made in his name to the Navy-Marine Relief Society. Donations can be made online using the following link: https://www.nmcrs.org/get-involved/donate
Once on the site, click the button that allows you to donate to the memory of Gerald Earl Widdows, HMCM retired. To donate by check, please address as follows:
Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society 875 Randolph St., Suite 225 Arlington, VA 22203