Gerard Etzel

Gerard Etzel, 89, of Southport, passed away peacefully with his family by his side, he was the devoted husband of the late Sharon Dunn Etzel. Gerard was born in New York City on December 5, 1933 to the late Paul and Isabelle McAllister Etzel.

After graduating from Georgetown University, Gerard received his MBA from NYU. Gerard was a proud Veteran of the United States Army and was stationed in Germany. After meeting his Wife Sharon and a stint in Belgium, they settled in Fairfield where they raised their daughter, Tyler. Gerard was Gerard was the European Buying Manager for J.C. Penny Co which was followed by a long and successful career with Merrill Lynch, he attended Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas whenever possible.

Gerard was an avid golfer & skier. He spent countless weekends in VT pursuing these hobbies with his wife & daughter by his side. He enjoyed spending time with his many friends & family. He was also a world traveler & took his wife & daughter on many vacation trips both abroad & within the United States. He enjoyed reading & was extremely knowledgeable about historical events. He loved baseball & was a diehard Mets fan. Gerard had a wonderful sense of humor, always cracking jokes wherever he went. He was a fantastic storyteller. He served on the Fairfield RTM & participated in many local events. Gerard was a resident of Fairfield for 47 years. His greatest joy in life was being surrounded by his family and friends.

He is survived by his adoring daughter, Tyler, his beloved grandson, Maximus A. Lyons, his devoted son-in-law, Neil F. Lyons Jr, as well as his new English Bulldog puppy, King Bo. He is also survived by many nieces & nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10AM on Thursday October 19 at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Fairfield. Friends and family may visit on Wednesday from 4PM-7PM at the Spear-Miller Funeral Home, 39 South Benson Rd., Fairfield, CT .  Share a memory of Gerard at www.spearmillerfuneralhome.com