Obituary of Gerald Joseph Vermillion

Jerry Vermillion Jerry Vermillion, 86, of Union, Washington passed away October 21, 2017 at Providence St. Peters Hospital in Lacey. A beloved father, husband, grandfather, great grandfather, friend, and coach; Jerry touched many lives and will be profoundly missed. Born Gerald Joseph Vermillion on May 4, 1931 in Kent, Minnesota, Jerry was a son of Emeil “Mel” Joseph Vermillion and Teckla Cecilia (Nordick) Vermillion. His father was the son of Belgian immigrants who came to America in 1884 and settled in South Dakota. His mother was the daughter of German immigrants who emigrated in 1880 and settled in Wilkin County, Minnesota. Jerry spent his youth in Minnesota, Wyoming and Montana where his love and appreciation for the outdoors became a core element of his life. He attended high school in Fort Benton, Montana where he began his basketball career. Jerry was recruited by Gonzaga University in the summer of 1951, launching his thirty-year run as a basketball player, coach and diversified educator in Washington State. Under the coaching of Hank Anderson Jerry contributed to Gonzaga’s rise to the nationally recognized basketball program it is today. Jerry still holds the school’s all-time rebound record and is one of the top ten all-time scorers. He was inducted into Gonzaga University’s Hall of Fame in 1991 as a player, and to St. Martin’s University’s Hall of Fame in 1995 as a coach. Jerry met the love of his life Donna Louise Jenkins while at Gonzaga. They married on July 2, 1955 in Spokane, Washington. After graduating, Jerry worked in education for many years and went on to have a formidable and honored basketball coaching career. He taught and coached at Ocosta High School, Irene S Reed High School, St. Martin’s College, and Laughbon High School; and was Director of Continuing Education at Olympia Technical Community College. They raised five children in Lacey, Washington; and spent many summers away from teaching and coaching with their young family in Westport, Washington where Jerry captained a charter fishing boat and pursued other creative enterprises. After leaving coaching and education, Jerry followed his entrepreneurial spirit developing and selling land and starting several businesses. He wrote and published his memoirs, “Jerry’s Ledger: A World Gone By,” in 2012. His later years were spent close to nature living on Hood Canal and enjoying the love and friendship of his family and friends. Surviving are his wife; brother Dennis; daughter Scarlette Gilster and her husband Paul; son Scott Vermillion and his wife Carmen; son Mark and his wife Tamara; daughter Mia Lynne Harrison and her husband Todd; daughter Carol Cooke; 13 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.Jerry was preceded in death by his parents; sisters Mary Elayne Johnson and Mildred “Millie” Gordon; and a brother Greg. Funeral services will be held 11am Saturday, November 11th in Shelton, Washington at St. Edward Catholic Church 601 West "C" Street. Following the funeral services, a reception will be held at the Alderbrook Golf Course Clubhouse in Union, Washington. Memorials, tributes and messages to the family can be left on a life tribute page for Jerry at the McComb and Wagner Funeral Home website (http://www.mccombwagner.com).