Gerald Lewis Peck

Gerald Lewis Peck, age 87, a devoted and loving husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather passed away peacefully in Florence SC on June 5, 2024, to join his recently departed wife Louise in Heaven. Gerald was one of ten children born to Charles Edlin Peck and Ada Gristy Peck in Memphis Missouri. His youngest sister Judy Michael, being the only remaining sibling of the ten. Gerald played high school basketball in Memphis, and later joined and proudly served in the United States Navy. As a USN radioman, he was billeted on the submarine the U.S.S. Sennet based in Charleston, South Carolina. He spent much of his free time at the beach there and this is where he met and fell in love with his future wife, and absolute love of his life, Louise, in Charleston. On August 31, 1963, they were happily married and started their life together. In August of 2023, Gerald and Louise joyfully celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary together. Those of us who knew them understood and marveled at the devotion and commitment to the vows they made to each other along with the deep and abiding love that they shared. Following an honorable discharge from the Navy, Gerald and Louise moved to Fairfield, Iowa where he attended and graduated from Parsons College with a degree in Business. Gerald and Louise moved to SC where he worked for an insurance company as an executive. In his work endeavors, Gerald had an eclectic mix of opportunities which reflected his curiosity, his sharp intellect, and his understanding of people. He found great success as a salesman in the mobile home business, he owned and operated a garage and gas station, founded and supported a successful motocross team, and he worked as an independent insurance adjuster when hurricanes, earthquakes, or other large-scale calamities struck our country. Together, Gerald and Louise had two children, Christopher Peck (Kathy) and Victoria Walker (David) four grandchildren, Jessica Campbell (Troy), Kaitlyn Holland (Robbie), Alexander Peck (Caroline) and Ian Peck, three great grandchildren Isabella Helms, Barron Campbell, and Brynlee Campbell. Gerald loved motorcycles, poker, storytelling, hunting, fishing, and raising his family. He was quite modern in his views for the 1960’s and 1970’s and his philosophy deeper and wiser than many of his contemporaries. He not only allowed, but actively encouraged his wife to pursue her dreams outside of the home. As many know, Louise was devoted to sharing her love of gymnastics as well as her commitment to making our community a better place to live. Gerald absolutely believed that their lives, as well as those around them, would be greatly diminished if Louise locked away her passion and energy. As a father, Gerald was tough but fair, insightful, and he often used events from his daily life to wrap into stories about the power of setting meaningful goals, the central importance of family and faith, and the value of hard work and education. Despite this, he could be incredibly tender, singing the kids to sleep with “You are my Sunshine,” and being there to listen and help whenever a problem occurred. He rescued us numerous times from the predicaments we found ourselves in without any judgment or condemnation. Those that were family to him were blessed to call him dad or granddad. In his later years, he began to experience a myriad of health problems and relied heavily on his wife for day-to-day living. This came to an abrupt halt when she passed away after a two-month illness a mere seven months ago. It was horribly sad but unsurprising to see his health take a downward turn in the months that followed her unexpected passing. In his final months, we were blessed to have the help of the angels from McLeod home hospice. They came to the aid of our family at just the right time. We would like to express our deepest appreciation and gratitude for the love and tender care we received while our father was in the care of McLeod Hospice. We witnessed a level of care and compassion that went above and beyond the medical care our father needed. Our entire family was embraced with a care team that displayed the true heart of a servant as they ministered to our emotional, physical, mental and spiritual needs. We give special recognition to the amazing "team of three" that served the entire time at our family’s side. (Megan Prince- hospice nurse, Sandy Williams- hospice social worker, Scott Ard- hospice chaplain.) Thank you also for the Hospice House team of nurses, doctors, aids, and staff who served tirelessly to keep our father comfortable when keeping him at home was no longer feasible. Each of you played a key part in making those difficult final days bearable for our family. In recognition of Mcleod Hospice, we would like to request that any memorials made in our Father's honor go to the support of McLeod Hospice. Send to: The Mcleod Health Foundation/ Hospice Care PO Box 100551 Florence SC 29502-0551. The family will receive friends Saturday, June 15, 2024, from 1:00 – 2:00 PM at Stoudenmire-Dowling Funeral Home. The memorial service will be held at 2:00 PM in the chapel.