Gerald "Jerry" T. Conaty

Gerald T. “Jerry” Conaty, 58, of Alpharetta, Georgia died on Friday, September 20, 2019 at Jefferson Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania of complications from pancreatic cancer with his wife of 35 years, Colleen Murphy Conaty, by his side.

Jerry and Colleen made every effort to battle this disease together. Colleen attended every chemotherapy appointment and every oncologist visit with Jerry and accompanied him through the multiple hospital stays that he had due to various complications. Jerry was a fighter, and his most important final wish was to return to Wilmington to be with his family.

Jerry was born and raised in the Penny Hill section of Wilmington, and spent summers growing up with his large family in Dewey Beach and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. He attended Mount Pleasant High School and the University of Delaware.

Jerry was blessed with a great singing voice and he loved to entertain family and friends with his favorite songs by Bruce Springsteen. Although Jerry moved to Georgia over 20 years ago, he never crossed the line to Atlanta sports teams and remained a lifelong avid Phillies, Eagles, 76ers and Flyers fan, often watching games with his favorite four-legged friends, his dogs, Schnoll, Chutley and then Schmidtty. Jerry was an avid Notre Dame football fan and a thirty-five year attendee of Army/Navy football games. We will never forget his kindness and loving spirit. As a friend to everyone he met, you could not ask for a gentler, more caring person at your side.

Jerry is survived by his wife, Colleen Murphy Conaty; his son, Patrick, of the Outer Banks, North Carolina, and his daughter, Cara, of Austin, Texas; his mother, Josephine Ciconte Conaty; four brothers, Daniel (Joanne), David (Colleen), Brian (Lucy) and Peter (Ellen), all of Wilmington; three sisters, Kathleen Conaty of Santa Monica, California, Cheryl (Bill) Timmons of Washington, DC, and Ann (Kent) Vasco of Wilmington, and his many nieces and nephews.  Jerry was predeceased by his father, Francis P. "Ponce" Conaty.

Family and friends may visit from 9:30-10:45 am on Saturday, September 28, 2019 at Doherty Funeral Home, 1900 Delaware Avenue, Wilmington, Delaware. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 am at Saint Ann’s Catholic Church, Gilpin Avenue and Union Street, Wilmington, Delaware. Interment will be private.

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