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Gerald McEowen
GERALD LAWRENCE "JERRY" MCEOWEN
Cedar Rapids
Jerry McEowen passed away Thursday, April 7, 2016, after a 10-month fight with pancreatic cancer.
Gerald Lawrence McEowen, known as Jerry to everyone, was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Sept. 29, 1938, the fourth of five children to George and Helen McEowen.
Jerry's formative years were spent in a small Catholic school in Cedar Rapids. It was at St. Wenceslaus that Jerry played baseball and basketball, played in an accordion band, and fulfilled his duties as altar boy.
After graduation, Jerry attended Iowa State University in Ames. He studied broadcasting, but only stayed a year. He joined the National Guard as a medic, then moved to New Orleans and talked his way into a job as a studio cameraman.
In less than a year, he was back in Cedar Rapids, where he first met Sandy, his future wife, in a production of "The Music Man." Jerry and Sandy were married in June 1964. He got a job at KCRG in Cedar Rapids as a news photographer and also spent three years at the television station WMT.
In the spring of 1968, Jerry and Sandy adopted Shawn, and that fall moved to Minneapolis. Jerry and Sandy adopted daughter Erin in 1970 and moved to San Rafael, Calif.
Jerry worked in San Francisco for KRON news until 2000. During that time he covered presidents, popes, queens and the '49ers. Jerry's job at KRON-4 was his dream job. He was in love with people and was never happier than on a news story where he could meet people and share his own stories.
Surviving are his wife, Sandra; son, Shawn; brother, Charles; sister, Patricia; and grandchildren, Devon, Kaitlyn and Kolbe.
He was preceded in death by his daughter, Erin; sister, Mary; and brother, Martin.
A memorial celebration of life will be held at the Marin Rod and Gun Club in San Rafael on Friday, April 29, from 4 to 7 p.m. Wear your best Hawaiian shirt and bring your best Jerry McEowen story to share.
It was Jerry's wish that any gifts or donations in his name be given to The Erin McEowen Memorial Fund, c/o UCSF Foundation, Attn: Eileen Murphy, P.O. Box 45339, San Francisco, CA 94145-0339, in memory of his daughter. Other donations may be made to Hospice by the Bay.
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