Gerald “Jerry” Bursek, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend, passed away May 21, 2019 in Santa Barbara, California.
Gerald William Bursek was born in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Jerry was the oldest of 5 siblings. He was a good student at St. Paul’s Catholic School and he graduated from Lincoln High School in the class of 1953. As a child, Jerry was fascinated with trains – a passion that continued throughout his life.
He was also a guy who liked to work with his hands – whether it was working on cars, or inventing things like a homemade garage door opener and dishwasher that are now commonplace in our lives.
After high school, Jerry enlisted in the Marine Corp. and specialized as a radar technician. He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant, and served as a drill instructor. He was on active duty from 1953 – 1956. After the military, Jerry attended DeVry School of Chicago and also the Milwaukee School of Engineering. He eventually earned his Masters degree there in 1971. In an interesting twist, one of Jerry’s last graduate school classes included a beginning graduate student, his brother, Ronald “Ron” Bursek.
While living in Milwaukee, Jerry met the love of his life, Mary Wagner. They married on October 24, 1059 and went on to raise four sons together. In 1973, Jerry accepted a transfer to Delco Electronics and the family moved from the Milwaukee suburbs of Wisconsin to Goleta, California.
Jerry’s career as an electrical engineer for Delco offered him opportunities to train astronauts in the Apollo Space Program, Air Force military personnel in the C130 gunship systems, Army personnel in the M1 Abrams (main battle tanks for the Army), and Marine Corp personnel in light armored vehicles.
After raising their children and taking early retirement from Delco, Mary and Jerry could be seen around Goleta riding their tandem bicycle, crafting toys for Toys for Tots, doting on their grandchildren and visiting with friends and family. Jerry also enjoyed genealogy and finding new relatives.
Jerry was a man of faith and service, As a Marine Corp Veteran, he volunteered for Toys for Tots and picked up toys from different donation stations around Santa Barbara. Later on, Jerry joined the Marine Corp League of Santa Barbara and advanced to the rank of Commandant. He supported many community efforts for different parades and the local Eagle Scouts. Jerry and Mary were active members of Saint Raphael Catholic Church for over 40 years. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus.
Jerry is survived by sons Michael (Stephanie), Mark (Julie) and Fary, along with his grandchildren: Spencer, Audrey, Evan, Sean, Zachary, Connor and Maren. Jerry is also survived by his siblings, Donna Scherer, James “Jim” Bursek and Ronald “Ron” Bursek (Carol) along with his nieces and nephews.
Jerry was preceded in death by his parents, William and Ella Bursek, brother Donny, sister Joanne, wife Mary Louise Bursek, and his son, Gregory Michael Bursek.
A Wake/Rosary will be held at 6:30pm at Welch-Ryce-Haider funeral chapel on Thursday, May 30, 2019. Funeral Mass will be Friday, May 31, 2019 at 10:00 at St. Raphael’s Church followed by burial services at Calvary Cemetery in Santa Barbara.
Semper Fi. Rest in Peace.
