Gerald Rae Everhard

Gerald "Jerry" Rae Everhard peacefully passed away of age and entered eternal rest on March 14, 2024. 

Jerry was born in Los Angeles, California, on November 25, 1935, to Coral Loraine Bolton Everhard and John Joseph Everhard. He grew up in El Monte, California with his siblings, one sister and two brothers, Patricia, Jack, and Gene.

After serving in the Army during the Korean War, earning a good conduct award, Jerry met his lifelong love of 61 years, Angela Marie Stolo, introduced by a mutual best friend and future best man “Skip” on a blind date to a baseball game. They appreciated each other’s sense of humor and love of dancing. In Angela’s words “we just adored each other” and then decided to marry on September 8, 1962 in Los Angeles. Their marriage was solemnized for time and eternity in the Medford, Oregon Temple.

Jerry was a loving and incredibly devoted father of a daughter, Michele, who remembers her father as a highly intelligent, witty, creative man with a firm commitment to the gospel and his family. He demonstrated unconditional Christlike love to others and always encouraged his family to be peacemakers, seek common ground and show empathy. 

As a steadfast member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he served in various callings including co-teaching the Strengthening the Family class with his wife Angie and serving as a Bishops’ Storehouse missionary with her for ten years in Eagle Point, Oregon where they helped to manage inventories and the distribution of commodities to the poor and needy. In addition, they both served at St. Vincent de Paul cooking and serving meals to those in need. 

Jerry often shared with his family that his older brother Donald Eugene Smith while on leave from military service in Vietnam, shared his testimony of Jesus Christ with him while they were both looking at the stars from the rooftop of their childhood homestead in El Monte, California. That evening, he invited Jerry to search the gospel and pray about whether the things he shared with him were true. Jerry said his older brother’s sharing of his testimony of Jesus Christ and challenge to pray about the truthfulness of those things ultimately changed his life. Jerry often shared with his family, “I wasn’t sure I believed the things my brother did yet, but I always looked up to the man he was in character so his testimony stayed with me. I remember telling my brother when we talked that night that I wasn’t sure I could believe those things he shared and I said to him ‘what if you’re wrong?’ My brother promptly said to me heartfelt and direct, ‘what if I’m right?’” Jerry attributed that meaningful conversation to preparing him to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ and ultimately the ordinance of baptism. He always enjoyed noting as well that he was baptized by his daughter Michele’s husband, Brian. 

He was a man of action politically in his community often serving as a Republican poll worker and made contributions as campaign manager over the years to many local candidates. He was appointed and served several years as Butte County, California planning commissioner. 

Jerry had a love for intricate landscape design and other home improvement projects involving elaborate wood working embellishments he created as a gift for his sweetheart, Angie. He dedicated many years to cultivating their Grants Pass home on the Rogue River with his own architectural add-ons and garden design. He had an advanced woodshop where he built furniture and created woodcarvings for his family. Jerry was also an avid fisherman, golfer, and bowler. He routinely participated in Toastmasters International to develop his public speaking skills and often acted in local plays and/or directed them. 

Jerry owned his own construction company in Northern California. Many of his custom home constructions were designed by himself. His excellence and innovativeness in his field earned him recognition from the American Institute of Building Design. Each award was a testament to his dedication and exceptional capabilities, but for Jerry, his true reward was in the work itself and the smiles it brought to others. In addition, he worked for Associated General Contractors of America where he managed the Northern California Chapter representing member contractors and advancing construction industry standards. He was often asked to guest speak to construction management students at Chico State University. After retirement his final gift was to design a custom home and professional office building for his daughter Michele and son-in-law Brian Hancock, MD. Michele remembers her father saying, “I don’t know how else to thank Brian for the incredible son-in-law and doctor he is to me. Hopefully he will enjoy great rest in his home and inspiring days in his office.”

Jerry’s devotion to his grandchildren, Jason, Joshua and Jacob was unwavering and demonstrated in many ways including teaching them how to play the game Chess in which Jerry was an accomplished and life-long fan and then using his woodworking talent to fashion each boy a custom Chess board. Jerry was a talented writer and left each grandson a section of writing in his personal journal with expressions specific about his observations of each boy and what they would contribute to the world with their unique talents and gifts.  He continually expressed to us that one of the final joys he felt before he departed this life was meeting his two great-grandchildren, Holly and Indiana, daughter and son of grandchildren, Joshua and Laura and Jason and Gema. 

In his life and after, Jerry’s legacy of kindness and generosity continues to thrive. Every life he touched, every individual he helped, serves as a testament to his altruistic spirit. His family members will recall his intense sense of humor and funny quotes to help get them through any adversity life may bring. He may no longer be in our midst, but his devotion and love for his family will continue to inspire and guide us. His memory will forever remain etched in our hearts and of those who were privileged to know him.