Gerald Leroy Wing

Early Saturday, August 1, Gerald “Jerry” LeRoy Wing went home to the Lord after a long battle with stage IV throat cancer. He fought valiantly for almost two years. He'd just turned 60 years old. He was born July 30, 1955 in Merced, California, to Marvin Dean Wing and Charlotte “Bonnie” Willingham. Jerry grew up an Air Force child and lived throughout the United States, including Fairbanks, Alaska. Jerry graduated from Papillion-La Vista Senior High School in 1974. He began his service in the US Navy at the age of 17 and served for over 20 years before retiring in 1994 from VP-65 at NAWS Point Mugu, CA. During his naval career, he served on the USS Independence from 1974-1976 and traveled the world to six of the seven continents as a P3 flight engineer in VP-68 and VP-65. He received numerous citations and medals while serving his county. Jerry loved flying and his greatest regret was not being able to get his private pilot’s license due to health issues. In 2014, due to his cancer Jerry retired from the City of Thousand Oaks, library building maintenance department after 17 years. During his tenure with the city, he served as the local union president. Jerry was a member of the American Legion, Post 741 in Camarillo and served two terms as the post commander. He loved the legion and the Legion Riders. He was a member of Camarillo Community Church and the local Bikers for Christ. Family was important to Jerry. He built strong relationships with family and friends. He was an amazing husband, father and “pepaw”, brother, brother-in-law, uncle and friend. Jerry was quite the prankster and a terrific storyteller. He loved to start a story and pull you into it with you believing whatever he was saying before delivering the punch line. He had a quick wit and wonderful sense of humor, and always had a smile for everyone. Even at the end of his battle with cancer, Jerry maintained his sense of humor and his spirit remained strong. All who knew him will miss him. Jerry is survived by his wife of over 37 years Karrie Wing. They have two wonderful children, Christopher Allan Wing and wife Diana Herrera Wing and precious granddaughter Annabelle Grace Wing (5), and Rian Tucker Wing. He is survived by his siblings Bob Wing, Debi Wing and husband Tim Schane, and Brian Wing and wife Claudia and their three children, Tyler, (8) Dylan (7) and Ella Wing (4). Jerry is preceded in death by his sister Robin Renee Wing, father Marvin Dean Wing and mother Charlotte “Bonnie” Wing, both sets of grandparents, uncles and aunts, and numerous other family members. We thank our loving family and friends spread across the miles, our military family, Jerry’s co-worker’s at the City of Thousand Oaks, the American Legion Post 741, his wonderful medical team and their staff, including Dr. Jasjot Kaur Vermani, Jennifer Giacchetti Ramseyer, RN, BSN, PHN, CHPN, Dr. David Masiello, Dr. Henry Montes, Dr. Nicholas Fettman, Dr. Misha Rojany, Dr. Neal Dixon, Dr. Isaac Lowe, Dr. Christopher Arnold, Dr. David Schmidt, Dr. Dale Kiker, Dr. Brian Taui, Dr. Stephen Evans, Dr. Marwood Stout, and Dr. Page Mansourian, Doctors, nurses and staff at St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital and St. John’s Regional Center. A celebration of life service will be held at 4 p.m. on Saturday, August 8 at Perez Funeral Home, 1347 Del Norte Road, Camarillo, CA 93010, 805 983-3457, with reception immediately following at Perez Funeral Home.