Gerald Eugene Gerber

1932 - 2024

Gerald Eugene Gerber

May 12, 1932 - January 17, 2024

Durham, North Carolina - Gerald "Jerry" Eugene Gerber, 91, passed away on Wednesday, January 17, 2024.

Jerry was born on May 12, 1932, in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, the younger son of Ray and Julia Gerber. From an early age, Jerry was interested in sports and followed the Chicago area teams closely, especially his beloved Cubs. His devotion was finally rewarded in 2016 when the Cubs won the World Series and the Curse of the Billy Goat was lifted.

Jerry graduated in 1950 from Glenbard High School in Glen Ellyn where he played on the golf team as well as participated in intramural basketball. He also served as a reporter and sports editor for the school newspaper during which time he famously interviewed Bears legend George Halas.

After high school, Jerry attended Northwestern University and received a B.S. in accounting in 1954. After serving in the United States Army, Jerry returned to Northwestern and changed his field of study to English, concentrating on the writings of Edgar Allan Poe and Emily Dickinson. He earned his M.A. in 1958 and Ph.D. in 1964.

While pursuing his studies, he met Linda Hayes at a reception for Northwestern English graduate students. The pair were married on June 9, 1963, in Emporia, Kansas. After the wedding, the couple settled in Durham, North Carolina, where Jerry joined the English faculty at Duke University. Jerry was an Associate Professor of English at Duke for 35 years, teaching Introduction to American Literature and seminars on Poe and Dickinson. Jerry also served as the department Director of Undergraduate Studies for many years. He rarely missed a day from work and logged long hours preparing for lectures.

Soon after relocating to Durham, Jerry and Linda started a family, welcoming son, Carl and daughter, Susan. The four of them lived not far from the Duke campus, and Jerry could and did walk to campus in the snow when necessary. The family took summer vacations to the North Carolina beaches and long car trips to Illinois, Kansas, and Missouri to visit family.

Jerry dedicated the majority of his life to Duke. When not working, Jerry and Linda supported many Duke sports teams, especially men's and women's basketball for which they had season tickets for many years.

Jerry's other great loves were his five grandchildren. He would spend countless hours shopping and searching the Internet for Christmas and birthday presents for each child, especially books. He would research childrens' book series as seriously as any academic paper. He also enjoyed taking many pictures of the grandchildren with his non-digital camera. Even without the benefits of modern technology, many of the best pictures of the grandkids were taken by Jerry, using his keen eye to spot the perfect shot.

Jerry had a sharp mind and never stopped trying to learn new things. He had a broad curiosity of the world, and would ask (some might say grill) visitors and family alike about current issues and technologies. In the later portions of his life he expressed an interest in artificial intelligence.

Jerry was preceded in death by his parents, Ray and Julia Gerber, and his brother, Donald Gerber. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Linda; his son, Carl Gerber and his wife, Kelly; his daughter, Susan and her husband, Wayne Smoak; and his grandchildren, Hunter Smoak, Jason Gerber, Savannah (Michael) Morrow, Jeff Gerber, and Mandy Smoak.

The family plans a private memorial service. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the Sarah P. Duke Gardens.