Gerald “Jerry” Wade Robertson

Gerald “Jerry” Wade Robertson, 63, of Rogers City, passed away December 23, 2024, due to complications of early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Originally born in Pontiac to Joyce and Arthur Robertson, Jerry had great responsibility at a young age when his father left his mother with three young children in the late 1960s.

Joyce tried to give Jerry a father figure in his stepfather but that relationship was fraught with vitriol. During this turbulent time in his life, Jerry fell for “the girl next door.” Sherri would end up being Jerry’s great love. As a child, their only daughter would grimace over their obvious and deep love but would grow up to realize that very few people can say they had such a true soul mate as they did. Over the years, Jerry had many physically demanding jobs including manufacturing trusses, snowplowing and electrical work. His last job was as a delivery driver for the ore boats on the Great Lakes, delivering both supplies and crew to many of the various boats Sherri loved so dearly. It is rumored that Jerry and Sherri received a few tours on some of the boats they frequently visited. He was truly a jack-of-all -trades type of guy. While money was never abundant for Jerry, he and Sherri would drag their daughter around in the summer on the cheapest vacations, camping. Later, Jerry would spend a summer as a campground host in Hiawatha National

Forest. Most of all, Jerry was a storyteller. When the stories started to change, ever so slightly, after the death of Sherri, family started to have concerns about his well-being. It was so easy to chalk those subtle changes up to the deep grief over losing his spouse. Over time, the gradually increasing confusion morphed into hallucinations and delusions. Jerry physically passed away while under the care of Immanuel Hospice and the memory care unit of SKLD Zeeland but many of us know that Jerry started to slip away the day that his beloved Sherri passed in 2020. 

Surviving are a daughter, Kaitlin (Zach); sisters, Kim (Dave) Carroll and Cheryl (Melvin) Granderson; a brother, Bill (Mary) Somerville; many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews; and his much beloved in-laws. Special thanks to Rogers City Police Department, Rogers City EMS, and the many private citizens who helped Jerry stay safe until he was no longer safe at home alone. There will be a private Celebration of Life this summer.