Gerald William Obituary, Death – With regret, I inform you of the passing of Gerald (Jerry) William Archambault. March 2, 1940 – July 9, 2023 Jerry Arch, as he was known, was the youngest of three children born to George and Helen Archambault. He was raised in the Bronx with his older brother and sister – George and Jean. They lived happily in Throggs Neck where Jerry made many lifelong friends. It was in the waterfront community of Edgewater Park that he met the love of his life, Barbara Wakefield. Growing up in Edgewater, Jerry developed his love of boats and motorcycles, which stayed with him all his life.
He attended local schools and after graduating from Evander Childs High School, he joined the U.S. Navy. He served his country proudly and was then a long-time member of the American Legion in Throggs Neck.On February 23, 1963, just before his 23rd Birthday, Jerry and Barbara were married in St. Frances de Chantal Church. When their young family outgrew their apartment, they moved back to Edgewater to raise their three children, Michelle, Gerald (Jerry), and Denise in Alden Park. Jerry was a long-time bartender at Bill’s Portside and he also worked at Con Edison, before joining NY’s Strongest at the Department of Sanitation,
where he worked for many years until he retired. He also worked on a Wise/Frito-Lay truck route, which was his children’s favorite job, thanks to all the snacks that made their way home! For a short time, Jerry was a member of the Bronxonia Yacht Club before settling into his lifetime membership at the Locust Point Yacht Club. His boats, “Just Begun,” “Just Begun II” and “Just Begun III,” were labors of love for Jerry. He was very mechanically inclined and he personally fixed, upgraded and maintained them over the years. He loved fixing things, and he had the right tools for every job.
If it wasn’t the boats, or cars, you could find him continually improving their home – leading to many happy years spent enjoying the beautiful deck he built overlooking Big Oak Beach. He was always working on something. You would hear the familiar clanging and banging going on, interspersed with some shouting and yelling, when things weren’t going exactly to plan. Archie was a great neighbor and friend who generously pitched in and helped anyone who needed it – even teaching them skills they carried forward in their own lives. Jerry was a devoted husband and father and eventually, grandfather.
He was Poppy to his 9 grandchildren, and they adored him and Nanny. He was a proud member of the Edgewater Athletic Association (EAA) for over 50 years, and he loved being there to cheer on and catch his kids and grandkids at the Annual Labor Day Weekend races! Jerry lived a great life and always had fun! From Throggs Neck, all the way to their retirement in Florida, Jerry and Barbara had a large circle of family and friends. They enjoyed spending time with them on holidays, vacations, their annual ski trips, and New Year’s Eve parties, and in more recent years, Jerry became a familiar face at the Eagle Club in Stuart, FL. Though, it was clear that Jerry spent some of his happiest days boating with his family and friends from the club.
He loved to have a good time and he easily made friends with people of all ages. He would chat away to anyone and loved telling old stories to make you laugh. He was known for telling jokes. He always lit up the room by telling the perfect one, and he managed to make you laugh even though you had heard his joke 1,000 times before. He was very sentimental, and any old memories, stories or photographs would often bring a tear to his eye, as would the mention of any of his kids’ or grandkids’ accomplishments. He was a sweetheart of a guy. Jerry enjoyed his 83 years of life.
He was a loving son, brother, cousin, uncle, husband, father, grandfather, and friend to many. He lost Barbara just before their 55th Anniversary, but he was by her side and took great care of her the whole time. While he won’t physically be with us, we know he’ll be near for his first grandchild’s wedding this month. Jerry is survived by his two daughters, Michelle (Billy) and Denise (Brad), nine grandchildren (Danielle, Jennifer, Billy, Brianna, Tina, Nicky, Kylie, Bree and Brennan), his in-laws, and many nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his beloved wife Barbara, son Jerry, parents, and siblings. The funeral arrangements are as follows: the Wake will be held on Tuesday August 22, 2023 from 3:00 – 7:00 PM at Schuyler Hill Funeral Home; and the Funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday August 23, 2023 at10:00 AM at St. Frances de Chantal Church. My deepest condolences to the family. May Jerry Rest in Peace
