Surrounded by his wife and children, Norman W. Gierkey , age 76, of Niles, MI, passed away peacefully on Friday, January 2, 2015 at Kindred Hospital Northern Indiana in Mishawaka.
Norm Gierkey was born October 31, 1938 in La Porte, Indiana to John and Virginia Gierkey. He is survived by his wife, Cynthia Miller-Gierkey and his four children: Cheryl Gierkey, Diane Owens (Steve), Mike Gierkey (Jennifer), and David Gierkey (Micah).
Norm graduated from La Porte High School in 1957. He then went into the Air Force where he served in France for several years. It was there that he developed a lifelong love for that country. Norm married Georgann Roggemann on July 18, 1964. She is the mother of his four children. Throughout his career, he and the family lived in Indiana and Florida. The family settled in Texas in 1978. In 1995 he moved back to Indiana where he worked with Patrick Industries. Indiana is also where he met, and married Cynthia Miller-Gierkey. They were married on August 21, 1999. Together they traveled the world. After Norm retired as the Executive Director for Patrick Industries, he and Cynthia built a home and moved to La Garde Freinet, France, thus returning Norm to the country he fell in love with as a young man. They returned to Indiana to enjoy their families and the growing number of grandchildren. Together they have 12 grandchildren: Reed and Braden Owens; Bennett, Madeline, and Katherine Gierkey; Jake and Skylar Gierkey; Hannah and Zach Graben; Jack and Evan Haines; and Emma Smith. Norm is also survived by his stepchildren: Joshua Haines (Jessica), John Haines (Brooke), and Charity Haines (Garrett Smith).
The arrangements and cremation committal have been entrusted to Cutler Funeral Home and Cremation Center in La Porte, IN.
A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 pm Friday, January 9, 2015 at Mc Gann Hay Granger Chapel - Funeral - Cremation - Gatherings, 13260 SR 23, Entrance is on Cherry Rd., Granger , IN 46530. A time of visitation will be held from 12 - 2 pm Friday, January 9, 2015 at the funeral chapel.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Norm's honor to Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66674 or www.woundedwarriorproject.org/Donate.
The family wishes to thank Dr. Al-Ani, Donna Woodward, NP, as well as the nurses and staff of Kindred Hospital Northern Indiana in Mishawaka for their exceptional care of Norm.
Condolences may be made to the family online at www.cutlerfuneralhome.com.