DAVIDSON, Gerald    Age 69 of Trenton

Dearest Brother of Mark Davidson.

Jerry was a really cute child who everyone liked.  He made friends easily and was liked by most everyone he met.  That continued throughout his life.

Jerry was never happier than when he was playing or teaching music in school, in bands, and drum and bugle corps.  Jerry learned drums taught by our father, who had been a professional drummer.  Jerry was a drummer in Jr. High and Southgate High School marching band.  While still in high school, he played contrabass bugle with the Wyandotte Royal Lancers (a top drum and bugle corps in Michigan).

Junior drum and bugle corps (for youth under 21) were sponsored by veteran organizations and churches.  In 1971, he moved to Wisconsin and learned to play baritone bugle to join the Racine Kilties drum and bugle corps (V.F.W. National Champions in 1964, 1968 and 1969).  Afterward, he was a brass, drum and/or drill instructor helping Band Directors of a large number of high school bands from SE Wisconsin to the Chicago area.  He also was Director of several Midwest drum and bugle corps there.

Wanting a High School band of his own, he attended Northeastern Illinois University.  He switched to trumpet and graduated with a degree in music education and orchestration.  During and after university, he continued to instruct and arrange for local corps or bands until Southgate Schools hired him.

He returned to Michigan to teach music in the Southgate school system.  For 25 years he taught school orchestras, marching bands, wrote orchestrations, brass and drums (and also computer classes) in Southgate junior and high schools.  Jerry spent days, evenings, weekends, and summer vacations dedicated to increasing the quality of the Southgate marching band.  He was so engrossed in seeking the best for his bands that he only took time for the family of his brother's four children.  Jerry loved taking them shopping for toys (and later video games) and finding wonderful gifts for his brother's family.

After retiring, Jerry free-lanced writing arrangements for other bands and drum corps.  Jerry, an excellent musician, marched and played trumpet in Senior Alumni Drum Corps (Chicago Royal Airs, Anaheim Kingsmen, Schaumberg Guardsmen and Royal Lancers).  He also filled his life with hobbies.

Unfortunately, heart damage (from rheumatic fever in his youth) and other health problems weakened him and, lately, brought on trying times.  His health quickly failed this year and, after a fall, he was hospitalized with injuries and fatal illness from which he was unable to recover.

Jerry was an extraordinarily generous person.  He gave his all as teacher.  He was always willing to help friends (he made so many).  He had an amazing desire to make his mother, brother and other relatives happy.  And he loved with a passion.  Jerry had a beaming personality that, combined with involvement in national music and other interests, led to widespread spectrum of friendships across the country.

His absence is a loss to those who knew him.  I will deeply miss my brother.  But when I visualize my brother's face, with the humor and happiness in his smile – my heart warms and I smile back in memory.  Others may feel the same way.  What will endure are the many good memories of happy times and deep love that we shared with him, and for him.