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Gary Lee Gerst
1948 - 2026
BORN
1948
DIED
2026
UPCOMING SERVICE
Gary Gerst Obituary
February 21, 1948 - March 12, 2026
Gary Lee Gerst, 78, of Waterloo, died on March 12, 2026. He was born on February 21, 1948, in Waterloo, the son of Eugene and Maxine (Helm) Gerst.
Gary was united in marriage to Donna Rainsberger on March 3, 2000. He worked as a route driver for 47 years for Hostess, Little Debbie, and Sara Lee. Gary was an avid bowler and loved stock car racing, especially Nascar, the Chicago Cubs, and his beloved pets.
Gary was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Donna; a daughter, Lori Gerst; a brother, Mike Gerst; and sisters-in-law, Nancy Gerst and Renee Gerst. He is survived by his children, Troy (Denise) Gerst and Tammy (Scott) Laughlin; brothers, Richard Gerst, Dennis Gerst, and Dave Gerst; a sister, Cathy (Dave) Knapp; grandchildren, Sam (Emily) Gerst, Emily (Bryce) Hoffman, Scott Laughlin, Skylar Laughlin, and Ty Laughlin; and six great-grandchildren.
The funeral will be on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at 10:30 a.m., at Hagarty Waychoff Grarup Funeral Service on West Ridgeway Avenue. The visitation will be from 9 to 10:30 a.m., prior to the funeral. The burial will be in Garden of Memories Cemetery.
Please direct memorials to Cedar Valley Hospice.
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Waterloo, IA
Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier
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