Gerald C. Balish, age 86, passed Feb. 21, 2012, at Euclid Hospital from complications of COPD.
Gerald was born Oct. 20, 1925, at home in Cleveland to John and Pauline (Kubely) Balish.Together with his wife, Cesira, they loved watching Cleveland sports teams on television. And most recently, spending Thursday and Sunday evenings with their recently born great-grandchild, Antonio.Gerald enjoyed working in the yard and vegetable garden. He had one of the best looking lawns in the neighborhood. His vegetable garden produced bushels of tomatoes, all grown from seedlings he would start indoors. Gerald loved to fish and for many years owned fishing boats. He taught his daughters and son how to fish and spent many Sunday mornings on Lake Erie. For many years, Gerald was a member of the Eldorado crew out of Grand River until his health started to fail and he was no longer able to fish.Gerald loved to cook and one of his favorite joys was making breakfast on Sunday mornings after church. Gerald attended Collinwood High School in Cleveland. After finishing school, he joined the Marine Corps and began active service Dec. 21, 1943. He fought in World War II, as a rifleman and participated in action at Peleliu, Palau Is also Okinawa, Ryukyu Is and in the occupation of China. He awarded the Good Conduct Medal and Purple Heart. He served until Feb. 16, 1946.Upon returning home from the war, he met the love of his life Cesira Necci. They married in 1951, at Holy Rosary Church in Little Italy. They honeymooned in New Orleans and moved to Euclid to start a family. They have four children, one son and three daughters.Gerald got a job working for Osborne at T-35 Asphalt and moved his family to Mentor, where he lived for the next 48 years. Gerald retired from Osborne in late 1980s. He was a member of local 18, Operating Engineers for over 55 years. He was a member of American Legion Brakeman-King Post 336 and just this past October, renewed his wedding vows and celebrated 60 years of marriage with his beloved wife, Cesira.Gerald loved his family more than anything in the world and went above and beyond for his children, even after they had grown and moved away.Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Cesira (Necci) Balish; children, Jeff (Madeline Daugherty) Balish of Mentor, Debbie Anderson of Willoughby, Paula Balish-Kirkland of Mentor and Cindy (Edward) Johnson of Painesville; grandchildren, Kristin Balish, Joey and Lindsey Anderson and Scott (Lisa) Johnson; great-grandson, Antonio; twin-sister, Geraldine Sadar of Euclid; and brother, John (Mary) Balish of Mentor.Gerald was preceded in death by his granddaughter, Lauren M. Balish; grandson, Michael Anderson; and parents, John and Pauline Balish.Funeral Mass will be 9:30 am Friday at St. John Vianney Church, 7575 Bellflower Road, Mentor.The family will receive friends from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Brunner Sanden Deitrick Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 8466 Mentor Ave., Mentor. Interment will be in All Souls Cemetery in Chardon Township.
Gerald was born Oct. 20, 1925, at home in Cleveland to John and Pauline (Kubely) Balish.Together with his wife, Cesira, they loved watching Cleveland sports teams on television. And most recently, spending Thursday and Sunday evenings with their recently born great-grandchild, Antonio.Gerald enjoyed working in the yard and vegetable garden. He had one of the best looking lawns in the neighborhood. His vegetable garden produced bushels of tomatoes, all grown from seedlings he would start indoors. Gerald loved to fish and for many years owned fishing boats. He taught his daughters and son how to fish and spent many Sunday mornings on Lake Erie. For many years, Gerald was a member of the Eldorado crew out of Grand River until his health started to fail and he was no longer able to fish.Gerald loved to cook and one of his favorite joys was making breakfast on Sunday mornings after church. Gerald attended Collinwood High School in Cleveland. After finishing school, he joined the Marine Corps and began active service Dec. 21, 1943. He fought in World War II, as a rifleman and participated in action at Peleliu, Palau Is also Okinawa, Ryukyu Is and in the occupation of China. He awarded the Good Conduct Medal and Purple Heart. He served until Feb. 16, 1946.Upon returning home from the war, he met the love of his life Cesira Necci. They married in 1951, at Holy Rosary Church in Little Italy. They honeymooned in New Orleans and moved to Euclid to start a family. They have four children, one son and three daughters.Gerald got a job working for Osborne at T-35 Asphalt and moved his family to Mentor, where he lived for the next 48 years. Gerald retired from Osborne in late 1980s. He was a member of local 18, Operating Engineers for over 55 years. He was a member of American Legion Brakeman-King Post 336 and just this past October, renewed his wedding vows and celebrated 60 years of marriage with his beloved wife, Cesira.Gerald loved his family more than anything in the world and went above and beyond for his children, even after they had grown and moved away.Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Cesira (Necci) Balish; children, Jeff (Madeline Daugherty) Balish of Mentor, Debbie Anderson of Willoughby, Paula Balish-Kirkland of Mentor and Cindy (Edward) Johnson of Painesville; grandchildren, Kristin Balish, Joey and Lindsey Anderson and Scott (Lisa) Johnson; great-grandson, Antonio; twin-sister, Geraldine Sadar of Euclid; and brother, John (Mary) Balish of Mentor.Gerald was preceded in death by his granddaughter, Lauren M. Balish; grandson, Michael Anderson; and parents, John and Pauline Balish.Funeral Mass will be 9:30 am Friday at St. John Vianney Church, 7575 Bellflower Road, Mentor.The family will receive friends from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Brunner Sanden Deitrick Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 8466 Mentor Ave., Mentor. Interment will be in All Souls Cemetery in Chardon Township.
Gerald C. Balish, age 86, passed Feb. 21, 2012, at Euclid Hospital from complications of COPD.
Gerald was born Oct. 20, 1925, at home in Cleveland to John and Pauline (Kubely) Balish.Together with his wife, Cesira, they loved watching Cleveland sports teams on television. And most recently, spending Thursday and Sunday evenings with their recently born great-grandchild, Antonio.Gerald enjoyed working in the yard and vegetable garden. He had one of the best looking lawns in the neighborhood. His vegetable garden produced bushels of tomatoes, all grown from seedlings he would start indoors. Gerald loved to fish and for many years owned fishing boats. He taught his daughters and son how to fish and spent many Sunday mornings on Lake Erie. For many years, Gerald was a member of the Eldorado crew out of Grand River until his health started to fail and he was no longer able to fish.Gerald loved to cook and one of his favorite joys was making breakfast on Sunday mornings after church. Gerald attended Collinwood High School in Cleveland. After finishing school, he joined the Marine Corps and began active service Dec. 21, 1943. He fought in World War II, as a rifleman and participated in action at Peleliu, Palau Is also Okinawa, Ryukyu Is and in the occupation of China. He awarded the Good Conduct Medal and Purple Heart. He served until Feb. 16, 1946.Upon returning home from the war, he met the love of his life Cesira Necci. They married in 1951, at Holy Rosary Church in Little Italy. They honeymooned in New Orleans and moved to Euclid to start a family. They have four children, one son and three daughters.Gerald got a job working for Osborne at T-35 Asphalt and moved his family to Mentor, where he lived for the next 48 years. Gerald retired from Osborne in late 1980s. He was a member of local 18, Operating Engineers for over 55 years. He was a member of American Legion Brakeman-King Post 336 and just this past October, renewed his wedding vows and celebrated 60 years of marriage with his beloved wife, Cesira.Gerald loved his family more than anything in the world and went above and beyond for his children, even after they had grown and moved away.Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Cesira (Necci) Balish; children, Jeff (Madeline Daugherty) Balish of Mentor, Debbie Anderson of Willoughby, Paula Balish-Kirkland of Mentor and Cindy (Edward) Johnson of Painesville; grandchildren, Kristin Balish, Joey and Lindsey Anderson and Scott (Lisa) Johnson; great-grandson, Antonio; twin-sister, Geraldine Sadar of Euclid; and brother, John (Mary) Balish of Mentor.Gerald was preceded in death by his granddaughter, Lauren M. Balish; grandson, Michael Anderson; and parents, John and Pauline Balish.Funeral Mass will be 9:30 am Friday at St. John Vianney Church, 7575 Bellflower Road, Mentor.The family will receive friends from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Brunner Sanden Deitrick Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 8466 Mentor Ave., Mentor. Interment will be in All Souls Cemetery in Chardon Township.
Gerald was born Oct. 20, 1925, at home in Cleveland to John and Pauline (Kubely) Balish.Together with his wife, Cesira, they loved watching Cleveland sports teams on television. And most recently, spending Thursday and Sunday evenings with their recently born great-grandchild, Antonio.Gerald enjoyed working in the yard and vegetable garden. He had one of the best looking lawns in the neighborhood. His vegetable garden produced bushels of tomatoes, all grown from seedlings he would start indoors. Gerald loved to fish and for many years owned fishing boats. He taught his daughters and son how to fish and spent many Sunday mornings on Lake Erie. For many years, Gerald was a member of the Eldorado crew out of Grand River until his health started to fail and he was no longer able to fish.Gerald loved to cook and one of his favorite joys was making breakfast on Sunday mornings after church. Gerald attended Collinwood High School in Cleveland. After finishing school, he joined the Marine Corps and began active service Dec. 21, 1943. He fought in World War II, as a rifleman and participated in action at Peleliu, Palau Is also Okinawa, Ryukyu Is and in the occupation of China. He awarded the Good Conduct Medal and Purple Heart. He served until Feb. 16, 1946.Upon returning home from the war, he met the love of his life Cesira Necci. They married in 1951, at Holy Rosary Church in Little Italy. They honeymooned in New Orleans and moved to Euclid to start a family. They have four children, one son and three daughters.Gerald got a job working for Osborne at T-35 Asphalt and moved his family to Mentor, where he lived for the next 48 years. Gerald retired from Osborne in late 1980s. He was a member of local 18, Operating Engineers for over 55 years. He was a member of American Legion Brakeman-King Post 336 and just this past October, renewed his wedding vows and celebrated 60 years of marriage with his beloved wife, Cesira.Gerald loved his family more than anything in the world and went above and beyond for his children, even after they had grown and moved away.Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Cesira (Necci) Balish; children, Jeff (Madeline Daugherty) Balish of Mentor, Debbie Anderson of Willoughby, Paula Balish-Kirkland of Mentor and Cindy (Edward) Johnson of Painesville; grandchildren, Kristin Balish, Joey and Lindsey Anderson and Scott (Lisa) Johnson; great-grandson, Antonio; twin-sister, Geraldine Sadar of Euclid; and brother, John (Mary) Balish of Mentor.Gerald was preceded in death by his granddaughter, Lauren M. Balish; grandson, Michael Anderson; and parents, John and Pauline Balish.Funeral Mass will be 9:30 am Friday at St. John Vianney Church, 7575 Bellflower Road, Mentor.The family will receive friends from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Brunner Sanden Deitrick Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 8466 Mentor Ave., Mentor. Interment will be in All Souls Cemetery in Chardon Township.
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