Obituary: Gerald “Jerry” “Gozz” Augustine Gosser

October 21, 1938 ~ December 25, 2021     

Gerald Augustine Gosser, “Jerry” and “Gozz” to those who knew him, 83, of the Town of Sevastopol, died Saturday, December 25, 2021.

He was born October 21, 1938 in Chicago, IL, the son of Augustine John Gosser and Alice Marylena (Judd) Gosser. Jerry’s family moved to Sturgeon Bay, WI, and Jerry attended St. Joseph Catholic Church and Grade School. He graduated from Sturgeon Bay High School with the class of 1956. Jerry enlisted to serve his country with the United States Navy on October 9, 1956 and served on the USS Bristol (DD-857). He was honorably discharged from the Navy on September 18, 1959 as an Electricians Mate Petty Officer 3rd Class (EM3).

Jerry went to work for Wisconsin Bell in Eau Claire as a lineman for a year before returning to Sturgeon Bay. He was united in marriage to Patricia Kay Monahan (whom he first met in high school) on July 8, 1961 at St. Joseph Catholic Church where he remained a lifelong member. Jerry went to work for Wisconsin Public Service out of Sturgeon Bay in 1962 and retired from there in 2000.

While working, he belonged AFL-CIO Local #310. As a veteran, Jerry was a life member of the Weber-Tess AMVETS Post 51 in Sturgeon Bay and helped provide military honors for fellow post members and area veterans over the years. At St. Joseph Parish, he served as an usher for 25 years, a lay distributor for 10 years, co-chair of the June Jubilee committee for 11 years, and was president of the Holy Name Society. Jerry was the charter secretary and treasurer for the Home School Association. He was an active and 4th degree member of Knights of Columbus Msgr. Broens Council #2478 in Sturgeon Bay, serving as Grand Knight and also as District Deputy. Jerry loved the outdoors. He began skiing at a young age. Jerry skied many hills in Wisconsin and loved ski trips out West. He was part of the National Ski Patrol at Norski Ridge in Fish Creek where he taught all of his children to ski. Jerry enjoyed fishing (anywhere), but especially for Brown Trout off Portage Park in the Town of Sturgeon Bay, for perch through the ice on the Bay of Green Bay and on Little Sturgeon Bay, and the Stone Quarry was another one of his favorite fishing spots. Family often joked that (Jerry) was probably the reason perch limits were put in place; he always had a freezer full. Jerry hunted at the Peske Farm in Waupaca and then also at the Frank Schmidt Farm in Door County. He became familiar with the land throughout Door County while working as lineman for WPS and would go riding on his scooter with friends – up to Washington Island and throughout northeastern Wisconsin. Jerry was an avid card player who looked forward to play sheepshead with “the guys”, rotating each week at a different friend’s home, and he continued playing weekly in Texas, as he and Pat wintered in Mission, TX as part of the “Winter Texans” for over 20 years in addition to traveling to Arizona. He was a proud Green Bay Packers fan who never missed a game and loved telling family, friends, and other fans about attending the Ice Bowl.

Jerry will be missed by his wife, Pat, with whom he was blessed with over 60 years of marriage; five children, Jodi (Kurt) Falk of Green Bay, Janet (Tony) Hoslet of Allouez, Jay (Julie) Gosser of De Pere, Julie (Mike) Vanderwagen of Knoxville, TN, and Merrilee (Mike) McIntee of De Pere; fourteen grandchildren, Riley (Madalyn), Mackenzie, Calvin (Lacey), and Carson (friend, Sarah Neuman) Falk, Matthew and Claire Hoslet, Madison and Mitchell Gosser, Jackson (Amelia), Abbott, and Eli Vanderwagen, Madeline (fiancé, Nick Wherry), Emma (friend, Chase Shaw), and Michael McIntee; three great-grandchildren, Amiya Falk, and Everlie and Elliana Falk; three siblings, Barbara (Thomas) Fischer of Strongsville, OH, Virginia (Dean) Gigstead, and Rebecca (Ralph) Gosser, both of the Town of Sevastopol; siblings-in-law, Michael (Jeanne) Monahan of Marinette, James (Linda) Monahan of Gardner, Molly (Gary) Bogenschutz of Egg Harbor, Dorothy (David “Pee Wee”) Michiels of the Town of Forestville, and Charles Christopher of Rochester, NY; other relatives; and many good friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; siblings-in-law, Maureen Christopher and Thomas Monahan; and other relatives.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, December 31, 2021 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Sturgeon Bay with Fr. Robert Stegmann as celebrant. Military honors by the United States Navy and the Weber-Tess AMVETS Post 51 will follow at the church. Jerry will be laid to rest in the columbarium at Bayside Cemetery in the Town of Sevastopol.

Visitation for family and friends will be held from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 30, 2021 at Huehns Funeral Home in Sturgeon Bay with a parish wake service to conclude the evening at 7:00 p.m. Visitation will continue at the church, Friday morning, from 10:00 a.m. until the time of Mass.

At the request of the Gosser family, those in attendance of the visitations and/or funeral Mass are to wear a face mask or face covering.

The funeral Mass will be video recorded (non-live) and uploaded to the “Huehns Funeral Home, Inc. & Door County Crematory LLC” Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/HuehnsFuneralHome) in the near future.

Memorials may be given in Jerry’s name for DOOR CANcer, Inc. (P.O. Box 423, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235) or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“Our family would like to express our heartfelt thanks to Dr. Kelton Reitz, the Unity Hospice staff, and especially to Mackenzie (Jerry’s granddaughter), for the wonderful, compassionate care you gave to Jerry.”

Expressions of sympathy, memories, and photos of Gerald may be shared with his family through his tribute page at www.huehnsfuneralhome.com.