Gerald "Jerry" Neilon

For God so loved our world that He gave to us a man named Gerald F. Neilon Jerry. Our beloved husband, dad, uncle, grandpa and friend died at home on March 8, 2006. Jerry was and always will be, a loving presence in our family. Consistently present at his grandchildren's ballgames, wrestling matches, concerts, theater productions and horse shows, equipped with encouraging words and video camera in hand, he gave our family his all. He enjoyed skiing, golfing with his buddies, gardening with his wife, woodworking, listening to all kinds of music, whistling in the garage and fixing things. He was gifted with a love of nature, especially trees. Jerry was born Dec. 23, 1937, in Rochester, N.Y., to an Irish Catholic family. After graduating from Edison High School, he worked for Eastman Kodak Company. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1960 to 1964 then returned to work at Kodak. Jerry was one of the first to be transferred to the Windsor Kodak plant in 1970 and retired from Kodak after 37 years. He is survived by his wife, Lila Neilon; by brothers, John Neilon, wife Joan, of Rochester, N.Y., Jim Neilon, wife Judy, of Scottsdale, Ariz.; sisters, Eileen Smith, husband Russ, of Rochester, N.Y., Pat Malletz of Wellsboro, Pa.; sister-in-law, Patricia Wesley of Liberal, Kan.; stepdaughters, Lesa Corwin of Big Sky, Mont., Tova Aragon, husband Frank, of Fort Collins, Tara Spahr, husband Dan, of Denver; grandchildren, Russ Salmon of New York City, Cory Aragon of Broomfield, Bethany Hadley, husband Mark, of Castle Rock; great-grandchildren, Sarah and Rylie Hadley; seven nieces and six nephews. Preceding him in death were his parents, James and Mary Molly Neilon; his first wife, Helen Strasheim; his sister, Mary Neilon; his granddaughter, Kahla Aragon. A memorial service will be at 10 a.m., Monday at Bohlender Funeral Chapel. Pastor Tom Roth will be officiating at the service. A private interment will be held at Grandview Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Larimer County Hospice, 7604 Colland Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525. The family's wish is that Jerry's friends and family plant a tree in his memory. His bright Irish eyes and his special sense of humor will light our way for eternity.