Gerald Cottrell

Gerald A. “Jerry” Cottrell

June 10, 1950 ~ November 17, 2020

Jerry Cottrell, of South Ogden, born June 10, 1950, at Travis AFB, California, passed away due to heart failure on November 17, 2020 in Ogden, Utah.

The family is appreciative of the efforts of the medical personnel at McKay-Dee Hospital to try and save his life. He was grumbling, talking, and joking with the staff, just as you would expect if you knew him, until he lost the ability to speak. Even though his family has been stunned by the suddenness of his passing, they are grateful for the excellent care he received and that he did not suffer long.

Jerry was a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and always remained true to the faith. He served faithfully in many callings, most especially as a dedicated home teacher and ministering brother. He loved those families he served and he set a wonderful example of how to serve faithfully for his children to follow.

While working in Washington, D.C., Jerry met Ceva Gigger. It was love at first sight for him; she needed some convincing. They were sealed in the Logan Temple in 1976, and they went on to have four children: Christy, Jim, Kenny, and Julie.

A computer and technical specialist like his father, Jerry worked for the IRS. He always enjoyed technology even after he moved into management, where he was generally the youngest of his peers at each management level he attained. His technical skills delighted many of his elderly neighbors as he spent many hours fixing their computers and helping them figure out many newfangled technologies.

He loved family history work and enjoyed getting to know all his “cousins” through that work. He enjoyed poring through and deciphering census records, microfiche, reading and collecting family history records, finding and documenting gravestones, and creating online memorials for those who had passed on.

Jerry loved driving his arrest-me-red Corvette and listening to rock n’ roll music – usually loudly. After he retired, he took cooking classes and learned to cook really well. He liked to tell people that all of the meals he cooked were magnificent; some were just more magnificent than others.

He loved making up and singing silly songs, collecting malapropisms, and pretending that he could speak a dozen languages. He was funny and generous, though he could also sometimes be rather pugnacious. He was a good neighbor and a loyal friend. He loved animals (but was not fond of cats) and had a special affinity for dogs, especially his Akita and Mastiffs, and welcomed his daughters’ rescue dogs, and under much duress, even a cat into his home as well.

Jerry loved to travel. He counted himself fortunate to have been able to visit many different countries. He liked trying new foods, learning about different cultures, and meeting new people.

He was a ham radio operator and enjoyed doing community service with the Weber County Sheriff’s Office A.R.E.S. Communications Team and the Ogden Amateur Radio Club.

Jerry is survived by his wife, Ceva; his mother and step-father, Madeline and Paul Sersland; his favorite mother-in-law, Ida Gigger; his children, Christy, Jim, Kenny (Roxanne), and Julie Cottrell; his siblings, Rosser (Donna) Eidelbach, Jim (Judy) Cottrell, Dan Cottrell, Karolyn Ebbert, Linda (John, deceased) Lowe; his six grandchildren whom he loved and who loved him; many cousins, aunts, and other relatives; and his dear friends, Kurt and Jan Alberts. He was preceded in death by his father, James Calvin Cottrell, Sr.; his baby sister, Julianne; and his sister, Sandy Sersland.

To all who wish to honor Jerry, we, his family, simply ask that you find a way, through word or deed, to brighten someone’s day. In doing so, we know Jerry would approve.

Family funeral services will be held on Tuesday, November 24, 2020 at 11 a.m. with a family visitation prior at the Pleasant Valley 5th Ward Chapel, 5735 South Crestwood Drive, South Ogden, UT. Interment, Lindquist’s Washington Heights Memorial Park, 4500 Washington Blvd. Masks will be required for all in attendance. Due to the pandemic, extended family and friends are encouraged to stay safe and view the services live.

Services will be livestreamed here at the bottom of Jerry’s obituary..

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