Donald F. X. Gerne

Donald F X Gerne entered eternal life on October 9, 2018 He left this world on his terms, with his beloved wife Sharon at his side holding his hand, praying the Rosary His wife and children held a vigil at his bedside for a week prior to his death, praying and singing the entire time He knew he was loved and the tremendous impact he had on his family Donald fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith

Donald was born on October 24, 1937 He was a Jersey City boy through and through, attending St Paul of the Cross Elementary School and St Peter's Prep He graduated the University of Notre Dame in 1959 with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration Up until his death he would only miss a televised ND football game for one of his children's or grandchildren's sporting events In fact, his children were able to sing the Notre Dame Victory March before they could walk After a brief service in the United States Army, Don joined International Business Machines (IBM) in 1960 where he worked for over 30 years, rising from sales to management He earned his first Hundred Percent Club honor in 1966 and served as its president in 1968

Don married the love of his life, Sharon Browne, in 1972 After starting their family, they left the "motherland" of New Jersey in 1975, heading first to Poughkeepsie, NY and finally settling in New Canaan in 1979 where they have remained Don's time in New Canaan saw him build both a career at IBM and a second career developing houses, first as a partner in B&D Building, and then in Canaan Building Associates Sharon and his children would pitch in cleaning the building sites on the weekends; it was a family affair In 2005, Don put down his hammer and fully retired

Don's life was marked by his commitment to family and faith He never missed a family dinner, an opportunity to tell his wife and kids why he loved them, tell a stranger to "keep the faith" or use a teachable moment to impart wisdom His favorite expression was "you can become bitter or better" It was a motto by which he lived

As an active member of St Aloysius Parish, he served on the Parish Council, and was a Catechist, Eucharistic Minister, member of the St Aloysius Men's Group, the Diocesan Communication Board, and the Knights of Columbus For many years he ran the Pre-Baptismal Program at St Aloysius with Sharon The pair were also heavily involved in the Emmaus retreats for teens Donald was a fixture on all his children and grandchildren's sports sidelines, cheering loudly in the stands In his later years, Don served the community through Meals on Wheels and the St Aloysius Homebound Program

Don loved gardening, building stone walls, his hair (it was pretty great), music, Notre Dame Football, Yale Lacrosse, family gatherings and keeping the driveway impeccably clean (there was never a leaf in sight)

He is survived by his faithful wife and Irish princess, Sharon, of New Canaan, and children; Tara Merola (Michael) of Potomac, MD, Shannon Goetz (John) of New Canaan, Donald Gerne (Emily) of Chatham, NJ, and Meghan Rump (James) of New Canaan His also is survived by his sister, Marie Stanton, many nieces and nephews and thirteen grandchildren, including: Grace, Michael, Taigh, Donovan, and Patrick Merola; Jack, Tom, Ted and Kate Goetz; Finn, Reese, and Graydon Gerne; and Matthew Rump

For online condolences and directions, please visit wwwhoytfuneralhomecom

In lieu of flowers donations can be sent to: Poor Clare Monastery of the Immaculate Conception, 12210 S Will Cook Road, Palos Park, IL 60464; Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary, 7880 West Denton Road, Box 147, Denton, NE 683