GERALD "Jerry" DONALD JOSEPH PHELAN, Sr. Born August 24, 1933, Middlefield, NY; adopted by Martin Phelan and Gertrude Ware. Raised in Brooklyn, NY. Joined Navy as a Corpsman in 1952. Retired with medical disability. Met Patricia Coleman in 1953 when both were stationed together. After three-month whirlwind romance, were married, had three children in two years, seven months. Lived in Ashby and Fitchburg, MA. In 1993, they moved outside Greenville, SC. He graduated with an undergraduate degree from Tri-County Technical College. A man of his time, he was fooled into cardboard Hollywood stereotypes that failed him later on. Paper stars John Wayne, Marlon Brando, Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable, and James Dean fed the national psyche and Jerry with false role models. He was a ferocious reader and had a great roaring laugh. He was a big fan of the Yankees of the 1940's, glomming on to identities such as carpentry, welding, artistic painting, photography, golf, marathoning, guitar, ice hockey, Shriners, Big Band music, stage acting (he was an extra in several movies), Armed Forces Radio DJ, and everything "horses" (he rode across Massachusetts several times) to build his confidence of a place in the world. He loved his wife and children through it all. But hated snow and cold weather. He retired from working at Ft. Devens Cutler Army Hospital in MA admitting and transferring soldiers from Vietnam back to the states. He loved to drive and drove anything that had a steering wheel. Ambulances, busses, taxis, semi's, motorcycles, race cars, and heavy equipment. Predeceased by his wife Patricia Phelan (died April 20, 2014), and his 1st son Gerald, Jr. (Donnie, died Feb18, 2016, Fitchburg, MA. Leaves behind second born, Chris Phelan (Garland, TX, his wife Janalou), and third born, Cathy Mangsen (Lutz, FL). Grandchildren include Erin Mangsen and husband Michael (great grandchildren Rosalie, Evelyn Grace, Charlotte), Jonathan Mangsen and wife Erin (great grandchild Gideon), Joe Phelan, and Anna-Maria Phelan.