Gerald Dean Laker

Gerald "Jerry" Dean Laker, 71, left this world to be with the Lord on May 14, 2013. Jerry was the son of Fredrick and Frances (Rinker) Laker and was born on July 14, 1941, in Keytesville, MO. Jerry was a graduate of Melbourne High School in Melbourne, IA and proudly served as a sub mariner sounding device operator in the United States Navy for approximately three years. Jerry was honorably discharged from the Navy at the Grade of SOS3 (E-4) (SS) not long after the death of his father in order to care for his ailing mother. After his mother's passing, Jerry moved to Marshalltown, IA, where he worked in retail sales for Montgomery Ward. It was in Marshalltown, that Jerry met and later married Kathleen Agnes (Comisky) Laker on September 20, 1964. Jerry went to work for John Hancock Insurance and worked his way up to the position of District Manager. After many years with John Hancock and several transfers between Iowa, Indiana and Florida, Jerry and Kathy settled in Florida where he became a licensed Realtor and then a licensed Realtor/Broker.
Jerry spent more than 30 years in the real estate profession working for Sorrento Realty and Ammon Schrock Custom Homes, before opening and operating his own real estate office. During this time, Jerry and Kathy were the devoted parents, grandparents and great grandparents of three children, six grandchildren and two great grandchildren: Sean Michael Laker; Kelli Jo (Laker) Leaf; Krista Marie (Laker) Lewellyn; Paul Andrew Leaf; Nichole Kristina Lewellyn; Jessy Jay Lewellyn; Lane Michael Lewellyn; Vanaca Whitney (Laker) Dalton; Sean Michael Laker, Jr.; Fredrick Russell Laker; Skyler James Dalton and Aiden Colton Dalton.
Jerry and Kathy also owned and operated a 33 acre horse farm, Oak Ridge Farms, in Nokomis, FL; where Jerry worked tirelessly evenings and weekends to provide a safe and welcoming environment for the farm's boarders and guests. Jerry donated many a man hour to ensure the farm was presentable in order to sponsor local, Area E, 4-H horse shows and clinics. Jerry also devoted countless hours to the Venice Kiwanis Club, the Venice Little League Baseball (as a coach and sponsor) and to the Venice Area Board of Realtors.
Jerry and Kathy retired to the little town of Hull (Madison County) Georgia in 2007. Not long for retirement, Jerry and Kathy started a successful online retail sales company, Rekal Company, Inc., in 2009. Jerry proudly and diligently worked alongside Kathy and Sean, to serve customers looking to purchase vinyl windows for porch enclosures. Jerry immensely enjoyed dealing directly with customers and was proud of the Eze-Breeze/PGT products he sold and loved more than anything, working with his family.
Jerry was a football fanatic and proud supporter of the Venice Indians, Florida Gators, Texas A&M Aggies and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In his spare time, Jerry enjoyed salt water fishing and even captained his own commercial fishing boat, the King Fisher I.
Jerry was preceded in death by not only his parents, but his brother, Earnie Kamphefner; sister in-law, Sam Kamphefner; and niece, Brandi Kamphefner. In addition to his immediate family, Jerry is also survived by his sister Kay Kamphefner; nephew Rex Kamphefner, his wife Grace and their children Electra, Giselle and Thor; his niece, Paige (Kamphefner) Yeager, her husband Scott and their children Lauren and Samantha; his niece Erin "Kricket" (Kamphefner) Evans, her husband Joe and their children Taylor, Brady, Rex and Madison; nephew Grey Kamphefner; and nephew Chance Kamphefner, his wife Cheryl and their children Tanner and Tyler.
A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, May 18, 2013 at 2:00 p.m., at Lord & Stephens Chapel, 963 Georgia 98E, Danielsville, GA 30633, (706) 795-5116. Memorial donations may be made in the name of Gerald Dean Laker to the Wounded Warrior Project (http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/).