William H. Gerlich

GERLICH - William H. Gerlich, 57, of Brier, WA, formerly of Greenvale, NY, beloved husband of Pamela Fraser Gerlich, died at home on July 28, 2009. He had made a courageous stand against ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) for three and one half years but finally exhausted his deep reserves of strength. Bill was a loving and engaging participant with family and friends, even up to the moment before his death. His humor and steadfastness gave us the courage to take this last journey with him. Bill loved getting to know people. He would say hello to anyone who crossed his path, and let them know that he was interested in their story. If they were interested he would tell them his story and views on life which were based on the belief that we need to manage our lives with conviction and honor, all while maintaining harmony with others. Bicycling was a major passion for Bill and spurred his move to the Northwest. He participated in many bicycle rides including but not limited to the STP, Chilly Hilly, Long Island Century, RAMROD, Leadville 100, Tour de Blast, Tiverton 100, all with joy and determination. Bill also loved skiing with friends on the East Coast, West Coast and mountains in between. The more runs that he could fit in, the better and the occasional out of bounds was the best. And, of course, there was sailing. As a crew member on various classes of boats from Stars and Etchells up to NY 48s, he was a skipper's dream. Smart, tireless and BIG! His teamwork and good humor helped to keep things smooth when the seas got rough. Last but not least there was the New York Giants and all of those tailgate parties. Bill's work in the audio visual and home security field gave him the opportunity to do what he dearly loved which was to design a system and have it function efficiently and beautifully. His career began with Profile Protective Systems in Oyster Bay, NY in the 70's and early 80's. This led him to a partnership with Jerry Cornelis at Telstar Security Systems, in Glen Cove, NY. After moving to Washington State in 1999 he transitioned between working as a sales representative at ADI and running his own business, Security 1st. The energy he devoted to all these positions was abundant and left his clients with the feeling that they had been well taken care of. Bill is survived by his wife Pamela (Fraser), his mother Anne Cooney of Greenvale, NY, his sisters Sandy Kennedy (Joseph) of Southport, NC, and Lisa Miller (Charles), his nephews Charles and Colin Miller of Greenvale, NY, his father and mother-in-law Richard and Fay Fraser of Port Washington, NY, his sisters-in-law Elizabeth Oestreich (George) of Middletown, RI and Margaret Fraser of Port Washington, NY, his nieces Lois Katcher (Jesse) of Brooklyn, NY and Emily Flaherty of Port Washington, NY, and his nephews LCpl Thomas Moore (Carling) of Jacksonville, NC and Richard Moore of Port Washington, NY. Bill was a loving son, brother, uncle, friend and husband. He served as confidant and cheerleader to all who loved him, especially his wife. He rose in the morning with a smile and the faith that this day would be a good one, and it usually was. Our hearts cry out for the loss of him, but we know that he lives on through his many friendships and kindnesses. We love you Bill. A celebration of his life will be held in Greenvale, New York on August 15th, 2009 at 2:00pm at his mother's residence. A second celebration will be held in Brier Washington on a date to be determined. In lieu of flowers please direct any gifts to: ALS Association, Evergreen Chapter 19110 66th Avenue S, Suite G101, Kent, WA 98032 or Providence Hospice of Seattle, 425 Pontius Avenue N, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98109-5452.