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Jerry J. McGuire

Jerry joined IBEW Local 48 in December 1973.  He retired in March 2003.  He is survived by his wife, Theresa, and children, Paul and Maria.  Donations in his honor can be sent to Parkinsons Resources of Oregon, 3975 Mercantile Drive, Lake Oswego, OR  97035.

Memorial Service will be held at Oxbow Park - Boat Ramp
3010 SE Oxbow Pkwy  Gresham, OR 97080
Saturday, November 8, 2014
1:00PM
Potluck
 
The eulogy as written by Jerry's son, Paul.

Jerry John McGuire. The son of John Leslie McGuire and Addie Belle Eason and the ancestor of Laurence McGuire who served and died proudly at Valley Forge and whose parents were a part of the first Irish settlement near Eason, PA in about 1748. After a travel west over the years Jerry's father's family found themselves on a homestead in Alva, OK, with an earth cellar and a half sod house on a creek. 

John McGuire having been married with two kids was told by his dying wife that there was a widow with two kids of her own that he should marry when she dies. John and Addie were married and Jerry John was born at home in Alva on March 31, 1941. He had an older brother Ray McGuire, a sister Vona Lee McGuire by his father, then two more older brothers Haskel Menser, and Bill Menser by his mother. Five years After Jerry was born, David McGuire was born and two years later, Thomas McGuire. 

When Jerry was five, the family moved from Alva to Ridgefield, WA. They bought a farm and stayed there for the next 13 years. During Jerry's years in Ridgefield he helped with the chicken cropping and share cropping in the now near extinct strawberry fields in the Ridgefield area. When I was growing up my dad said he had eaten enough of strawberries to last a lifetime. I think that he got over that when he had it in a short cake with whipped cream. 

Jerry also during his youth caused a little bit of trouble, in one instance he got a new BB gun, this inspired him to test it out on the local gas station windows and then he had his brothers to hold targets. Jerry attended Ridgefield schools and enjoyed his high school years, I remember as a youth going to Ridgefield and visiting old friends, the still broken gas station windows..kidding and checking out the old swimming hole. My father was a very good swimmer and diver, he could do a cannon ball that could hit whoever he wanted, for a kid that was a great thing. I believe that my dad was an involved and a likable student, he played on both the baseball and basketball teams and was also the manager a few seasons. He graduated in 1959. 

After his graduation, Jerry followed the wheat harvest throughout the Midwest. In the fall he decided to enter the navy. At about the same time his family decided to move back to Alva. Jerry spent his time in the Navy on the USS Coral Sea and did the Far East Tour in 1961 and 1962 where he was introduced to a little SOS which he enjoyed the gravy and toast. He was discharged in October 1963 and some would say that his father waited for him to come home because ten days after he returned home to Alva his father passed away after a lengthy illness. Jerry went to work at Alva Glass. 

Sometime in the mid 60's he moved back to the Vancouver area and went to work for Schnitzer Steel. He met his wife Theresa on a blind date set up by his cousin Naomi Eler and Gill, a Vancouver Police officer in September 1968. They met at the Moose Lodge in Vancouver, WA. Mom probably thought that the blind date was safe considering she worked with the cousin and her husband was a police officer. Theresa says that she "knew" at first sight that she would marry Jerry but decided to get to know him first. Now if that was before or after he had "helped" her with her pool shot by placing his arm around her...who knows??:-) They became engaged in November 1968 right after the Policeman's Ball. The next day after the ball Jerry repeatedly said to Theresa....I asked you something last night...do you remember what it was? My mom's reply was "I am not letting you off that easy!" They married April 12 1969 at St. Josephs Catholic Church in Vancouver. Many family members were in attendance as was a BEE in one of the layers of my moms vail.

He went to work for Sherwin Williams Paint Company in Longview, WA. On 7-7-70 their first child, Paul Anthony McGuire was born and 22 months later their daughter Maria Therese joined the family. At this point Jerry got a transfer to the Hillsboro branch of Sherman Williams and they were living in Forest Grove in their first home. Jerry returned back to school in 1972 majoring in Marine Engineering Technology at PCC and just prior to graduating got work as a Marine Electrician at the Swan Island Shipyard. Throughout Jerry's career he primarily worked at the shipyard in Portland and the family resided in North Portland. I remember when my dad would have the time off he would have a special lunch with my sister for Taco Bell and a hamburger for me, during this time my dad was involved in my Cub Scout troop my mom would take my sister and I to sell beef jerky to the ship yard workers when we were students at Holy Cross. While my dad was working at the shipyard these during the summer we could get to Oklahoma and see a lot of places during family vacations from seeing our dog eat a frog, to the painted desert. 

Budget cuts shut down the shipyard in Portland and we moved to Washington were he worked at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton. My dad was not in to job politics and the Bremerton shipyard did not work out and we returned to Portland and family. Jerry retired at age 55 from the shipyards. Instead of the shipyards my parents decided to put my moms talents to work and they sold vests and hats down at the Portland Saturday Market, after the Saturday market got too political, he and his wife traveled the tri state area selling wearable art. My parents did not do the normal snowbird thing instead of following good weather they changed products and sold polar fleece at sled dog competitions in the high desert of Oregon, they were very northwest based. 

For a little while he went back to work doing sound and communication wiring he eventually retired with difficulties to his memory and strength issues in his hands...after much testing and nothing coming up, doctors decided that it was Parkinson's. This disease went exceptionally fast in my father and it soon became like he was having a grand mal. The doctors said he could have few months to a few years. He was one of the first to receive the Deep Brain Stimulator in the nation and because of this we got 14 years. 


My dad had a great wit, a great whistle, voice and was always willing to help. I remember we had a dog, a Bengal Basset Hound, that grew up running wild, when we moved to the city he still got out and we would have to find him. When we laid Oscar to rest with the family around our favorite dog, my dad said, "the gates are open, Oscar"...so, to my dad...the gates are open.

As published by Riverview Cemetery Funeral Home.

Born: 

Monday, March 31, 1941

Died: 

Saturday, September 13, 2014
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