Retired Budget Analyst and devoted husband, uncle, cousin, in-law, friend, and above all proud and doting father, grandfather, and great grandfather, passed away at home on August 22, 2021, at the age of 87.Born in Honolulu, Territory of Hawai`i, March 12, 1934, an only child, he was loving, caring, witty, passionate, generous, resolute, inspirational, loyal, possessed an astonishingly encyclopedic memory, and always displayed an infectious and engaging smile. An orphan at the age of four, he was raised by his maternal `ohana, the Kawamura family of Honolulu, Kaimuki and Hilo, Hawai`i. Following his service in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, he attended Graceland College and the University of Kansas, then wed his wife of sixty years, Amy Shigeko (Edamatsu) Greer, who he met in Independence, Missouri where she attended nursing school. Married in Honolulu, he sired three children in Hilo then raised them in Hilo, Waipahu and Kaneohe. His professional career included accounting and budget positions in Hilo, Waipahu and Honolulu. He was a part-time pastor and competitive boxer prior to beginning his career. He lived "Family First, People Always," never wavered from his belief that happiness is not a result of acquiring something one does not have but of appreciating and recognizing what one does have. Throughout his life, when his joy was not the source of his smile, his smile became the source of his joy. While at times he appeared stubborn and headstrong, he was judged by the Lord as a man who never gave up on his family, who persevered with great fortitude, and in the end prevailed and received his salvation.
Survived by son, Gerald Roy Greer, Jr. (Jenny); daughter, Kathleen aka "Kitty" Greer; daughter-in-law, Christine Greer; grandchildren: Chanelle Fagasa (Emmanuel Cababat), Natasha Fagasa and Dylan Greer; great-grandchildren: Cataleya and Zenlijah Fagasa-Cababat. Predeceased by wife, Amy Greer and youngest son, John Greer.
Family and friend to many, a Joint Celebration of Life Service will be held at Valley of the Temples Memorial Park's Main Chapel on Saturday, January 15, 2022, with Public Visitation at 1130 a.m., Service at 1230 p.m., and Inurnment at 2:00 p.m. The Joint Service will honor his son, John Howard Greer, who passed away on November 21, 2020. The Joint Service will conclude with the inurnment of John at Valley of the Temples, Ocean View Terrace "Heart." Gerald will be inurned at The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl. The Celebration of Life Service will be Live Streamed for those who cannot attend in-person at http://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/66493.
Arrangements Provided By:
Hawaiian Memorial Park Mortuary
