Gerald Francis McKown

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Visitation:
Friday, January 5, 2024
3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.
Secor Funeral Home
Plymouth, Ohio

Service:
Saturday, January 6, 2024
1:00 p.m.
St. Joseph Catholic Church
Plymouth, Ohio

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him; may his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Gerald Francis McKown of Plymouth, Ohio, passed from this world on December 31, 2023, surrounded by his five daughters.  He was born on July 13, 1936, to John T. and Agnes (nee Phillips) McKown during a summer heatwave on the family farm where he lived the majority of his wonderful life.

Left to cherish his memory are his devoted daughters and their husbands:  Gail (Rick) Kray; Lynne (Carlos) Rivera; Jane (Mike) Hinterlong; Anne (Rob) Webb; and Jennifer (Chris) Marshall.  He had sixteen grandchildren who lovingly called him Pappy:  Kevin (Erika), Daniel (Kaitlyn) and Ryan Kray; Michael, Ellie, and Grace Rivera; Sam, Joe, and Annie Hinterlong; Andrew, Allison, and Lauren Webb; Susannah (Fabian) Azofeifa; and Alice, Stephen, and Mary Marshall.  He valued time spent with his four great grandchildren:  Evelyn, Olivia, Joe, and Callum.  He was pre-deceased by his loving wife, Carolyn Kay (nee Schadek); they were married on 7-7-77 and spent over forty-two years together before her death.

Dad was a tool and die maker at General Motors for forty-five years, often commenting, “I get to go to work.”

He enjoyed reading about the Saint of the Day, keeping up on current events in The Plain Dealer, and Face Timing with his family. Dad loved reading, especially historical works.

A devout Catholic, Dad prayed daily and was a lifelong, active member of St. Joseph’s; from being an altar boy for Father Conces in his youth to helping with annual festivals and turkey dinners as an adult, he lived a life of service. A generous man, he quietly found those in need and provided for them in the most caring and compassionate ways.

He loved gardening; from perusing the seed catalogs and local nurseries to planting (some would argue too many) tomatoes, peppers, and squash, he nurtured his garden through the summer. He preserved the fruits of his (our) labor during the annual tomato juice-making event which concluded with our shelves being lined with rows (and rows) of Mason jars that would last us through the winter.  Dad also liked making and bottling fine wine.

He spent much of his life in his barns where family and friends would warm themselves beside the wood-burning stove and share a drink (or two) of Jimmy. He was sure of the date as calendars were prominent.

He enjoyed woodworking and was never without a pocketknife. Dad loved watching and identifying the birds outside his windows; he patiently waited for the Baltimore Orioles’ return every summer and made sure the hummingbirds and cardinals were well-fed.

Dad spent many hours playing Euchre with both friends and family and taught his grandchildren rules they will pass on to their children (including stealing the deal and the 9 of <3 never gets Euchred).  While playing cards, he was quick to sing or whistle along to Johnny Cash, George Jones, and Tom T. Hall.

Dad liked watching football, cheering on the Buckeyes, the Irish, and the Browns; during football season he helped make the weekly picks for Zu’s Football Pool.

He enjoyed getting mail (and the “free” stuff) from the St. Joseph Indian School and reading Farm and Dairy.

Dad liked a road trip, visiting his daughters (frequently without notice) and touring Civil War battlefields, imparting a love of history on his daughters and grandchildren. On these trips, he would often leave quietly in the early morning hours.

He never met a stranger and had many loyal lifelong friends, most conversations beginning with “What do ya know?”.

We will miss the twinkle in his blue eyes, his strong hands rubbing our feet, and his voice beckoning us with “Yoo Hoo.”

We will welcome friends and family for calling hours at Secor’s Funeral Home (35 Railroad St., Plymouth, OH 44865) on Friday, January 5th from 3pm-7pm with the Rosary being recited at 7pm.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, January 6th at 1pm at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church (117 Sandusky St., Plymouth, OH 44865).  Burial will be at Maple Grove Cemetery in New Haven immediately following the mass.

Please consider a donation in Gerald’s memory to St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Plymouth, OH, St. Joseph’s Indian School (Chamberlin, South Dakota), or The Sorrowful Mother Shrine in Bellevue, Ohio.

We close this remembrance with the words of Bobby Bare, one of Dad’s favorites:

“Dropkick me, Jesus, through the goalposts of life
End over end, neither left, nor the right
Straight through the heart of them righteous uprights
Dropkick me, Jesus, through the goalposts of life.”

Online condolences may be made to Gerald's family by visiting www.secorfuneralhomes.com