Gerald Lawrence Zahnen

He was born February 16, 1934, and grew up in Chicago, IL, where he established his life-long hobbies of woodworking, sailing, and skiing. He would often tell stories of growing up and going to the Green Briar Park wood shop where he would run the saws at age 10, teach adults to run the lathe when he was 13, and by age 16 building cabinets and even a small boat. He purchased his first sailboat at this time and became a regular on the lake, continuing to move up to larger boats – winning many races as a member of the Montrose Harbor Yacht Club and skied across the mid-west, Rockies, and Alps.

Leveraging his mechanical inclination, he joined a trade becoming a tool and die maker and machinist for A B Dick, where he became a head trouble-shooter with the engineering department. In 1970 he married Marilyn Litzelman – honeymooning on the sailboat exploring Mackinaw Island and small towns on the north shore of Lake Michigan. In 1971 they had their first son Kurt. In October 1972 they started a thirteen-month sailing voyage that brought them down the Mississippi River, out to the Gulf of Mexico via New Orleans, and down to the Florida Keys before sailing in the Bahamas and coming back to Fort Lauderdale where they ultimately relocated.

Deciding that they had enough of northern winters, they purchased a home in Wilton Manors, FL, and he established a new career as a plumber. The family grew with the addition of Erik in 1976. He helped coach a number of teams, was a dedicated sport and music fan attending all of his sons’ games and music competitions and became very active in their science club going on numerous canoe trips into the Everglades. He retired in December 1998 and began a new chapter traveling with Marilyn across the Caribbean, the West Coast, Hawaii and Canada and visiting his grandkids.

Gerry is survived by Marilyn, his wife of 52 years, sons Erik and Kurt, daughters-in-law Sarah and Lorrie, and grandchildren Zachary and Zander, and Kelly, Cameron Ruth, and Brooke, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded by his parent Lawrence and Marie, sister Marilyn, and sons from his first marriage, Gerry and Larry.

An interment will be held at a later date, in lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association or your favorite charity.