from the Shamokin News - Item: Mark J. Gerrity Published On: Thursday, February 3, 2000 Mark J. Gerrity HARRISBURG - Mark J. Gerrity, 51, of 2311 N. Front St., Harrisburg, formerly of Shamokin, died Tuesday, Feb. 1, in Lebanon Veterans Administration Hospital. He had been in failing health since his discharge from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1970 and has been hospitalized periodically during his illness. Born in East Syracuse, N.Y., on Dec. 21, 1948, he was the son of Mary (Raywak) Gerrity of Shamokin and the late Walter J. Gerrity. He was a 1967 graduate of Shamokin Area High School, where he was a member of the wrestling team, a sport that greatly influenced his life and prompted him to create his own nationally-recognized Internet website. Gerrity went on to attend Williamsport Area Community College for two years and later Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, where he graduated magna cum laude on Aug. 1, 1987, with an associate of arts degree. He attended St. Michael's Russian Orthodox Church in Mount Carmel and was an avid contributor and supporter of the Salvation Army. He was a member of Coal Township Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Mandata American Legion, Shamokin Moose and Fairview Fire Company in Coal Township. Gerrity entered the U.S. Marine Corps on May 9, 1967, and served in the Vietnam War until receiving his honorable discharge on April 29, 1970. Having attained the rank of sergeant, he was transferred to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. For his service to his country, he received the following decorations and citations: National Defense Service Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Meritorious Unit Citation, Vietnamese Service Medal with five stars, Purple Heart Medal, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with a Silver Star, Vietnamese Campaign Medal, Certificate of Commendation, Rifle Sharpshooter Badge and Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V." In addition to his mother, he is survived by two sisters, Dolores Stevens of Enola, and Linda Dobeck of Coal Township; two nephews, Keith Stevens and Gabriel Dobeck; two nieces, Colleen Little and Sarah Dobeck; two aunts, Ann Hubler of Shamokin, and Mrs. John (Mildred) Penman of Dallas, Pa.; and a cousin, Deborah Smith of Massachusetts. GERRITY - Mark J. Gerrity, 51, of 2311 N. Front St., Harrisburg, formerly of Shamokin. Funeral services will be private. The Leonard J. Lucas Funeral Home Ltd., 120 S. Market St., Shamokin, Leonard J. Lucas, supervisor, has charge of funeral arrangements.
{2/2/00 ed note: I was checking Tom Elling's and Bruce Closson's
sites this evening and found a very depressing although predictable
notice in place. Mark Gerrity, editor of the D4 webpage, who has been
struggling with lung cancer the past few months, died yesterday, Feb
1. Mark was a highly-decorated Vietnam vet who poured his heart and
soul into promoting high school wrestling in general - and his
beloved Shamokin Greyhounds in particular. He was a kind and decent
man and he will be sorely missed.
If you would like to see it, his site - at http://www.markgerrity.com - is still up and in place. Mark would probably have liked it if you all would go check it out one last time.}
One of the last things I got from Mark (and Mark has done me a LOT of favors over the last couple of years) was a check - he mailed it to me a couple of weeks ago and told me to forward it to the Lenny Ferraro Memorial Fund...
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