Terence Allan Gerace Sr.

Terence Allan Gerace, Sr., age 82, passed away at his home in Washington, D.C., after a well-fought, 12-year battle with Lewy Body Dementia. His devoted wife of 58 years, Marian ("Holly") Gerace, was by his side, as she had been throughout their life together.

Known to family and friends as Terry, he was a beloved son, husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, uncle, cousin and friend. He is survived by his wife, son and daughter, son-in-law, Portuguese son, grandchildren, nieces and cousins, all of whom were the great joys of his life. To his family, he was first a devoted son, and then a loving, respectful and steadfast husband, and finally, an unconditionally loving, affectionate, supportive and patient (especially when helping with math homework and driving lessons) father, father-in-law and uncle. He never missed an event in his children's or grandchildren's lives, from school plays and band concerts, to soccer games and Cub Scout camping trips. He was always present when it mattered. His deep devotion to, and care for, those he loved, was the center of who he was.

The First Century Jewish influencer Paul, wrote in a letter to his friends in Corinth (1 Corinthians 13:4-8 ) that "Love is patient, love is kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." This was the love that Terry showed each day for his family and friends. He met his fellow travelers in the world each day, first with kindness, humor, honesty and respect, even when he believed some of those travelers were on the wrong path. He would want us all to do our best to do the same, in his memory.

Terry loved ALL kinds of music; especially the compositions of his singer-songwriter granddaughter and the jazz stylings of his saxophonist grandson. In the last decade of life, he definitely got his money's worth out of his Alexa Amazon Music Unlimited subscription-often confusing the algorithm with his eclectic and varied selections. He was a steadfast escort to his wife to seasons of performances at the Miami Opera, although it was his reward of a late night tuxedoed trip to the donut shop with her immediately afterwards, that was the best part of the evening for him. Similarly, he enjoyed watching and playing all kinds of sports at every skill level--and he, himself, was truly the definition of "A Good Sport." He jogged nearly every day of his adult life, until his Lewy Body disease stole his balance and mobility. He completed four Miami Orange Bowl Marathons--and after one, went directly to a Bat Mitzvah dance floor to engage in another favorite exercise: dancing the night away with his beloved wife. He was intellectually curious and rationally skeptical, attributes he showed in his dedication to evidence-based preventive medicine, nutrition and fitness in his personal and professional life. While his professional focus was on disease prevention, he also recognized the need to focus on legitimate, peer-reviewed medical cures research as well; especially considering he had done everything "right" with respect to disease prevention, and was nevertheless struck down by a devastating disease. He took a keen interest in local and national public affairs, and was a devoted CSPAN watcher/listener, rarely missing an important political hearing or event--even those being presented by people with whom he vehemently disagreed. He was heartbroken by the divisive results of the 2024 election, and he would have wanted us all to continue to work to restore decency, civility, compassion for others and evidence based science to our Federal government.

Professionally, Terry earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Buffalo, two masters degrees from George Washington University (where he met his wife) and finally, a PhD in physiological psychology from the University of Miami. He went on to dedicate his career to advancing public health as an Associate Professor at the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Miami School of Medicine. His work focused on the prevention of heart disease, firefighter's health, women's health, and the reduction of toxic tobacco use through smoking cessation programs and tobacco-control legislation. His research, teaching and advocacy reflected his lifelong commitment to improving lives through good science and compassion.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Lewy Body Dementia Association or the University of Miami Comprehensive Center for Brain Health.