Glenn Gerrish

Glenn is survived by his dedicated wife, Kathy (Fasani) Gerrish of Kapaa, HI; his loving son, Justin (Heather) Gerrish of Carbondale CO; Hanai children, Jordan Shelton of Fort Collins, CO and Taylor Kennedy of Mar Vista, CA; brothers, Harold (Charlene) Gerrish of Aptos, CA and Stephen (Barb) Gerrish of Hailey, ID; and an extensive family of cousins, nieces, and nephews and their children.

Glenn was born in Hollywood, California and attended Palo Alto High School (class of 1970) where he excelled in academics and athletics. He played guitar with his friends in the garage band “The Skiffle Blues.” He then went on to have a long and successful career as a mobile diesel mechanic, first in the California Oil Fields in Ventura, California then later as a fleet mechanic for O. Thronas Concrete in Lawai, Hawaii from 1988 to 2018.

“Big Daddy” will be remembered by so many lifelong friends, young and old, as the Gentle Giant. His dedication and hard work in his profession as a Heavy-Duty Mechanic and his passion for creating custom Koa furniture was admired by all who knew him and set a good example for the next generation.

Moving to SoCal in 1972 he built an extended family of lifelong friends with his wife and son where he enjoyed decades of pure enjoyment, living life on his own terms. He loved his many passions such as scuba diving The Channel Islands, skiing the sierras, camping, hunting, surfing, many trips to Mexico, riding his Harley, cooking Kalua Pig on the beach for friends, and much more! His quest for fun and clean living led him and Kathy to Kauai in 1988. Here they were blessed with warm water, amazing waves, ample work, and the respect of new friends. Glenn was able to shift his schedule and take time to chase big waves. However, in pursuit of those perfect waves, his list of injuries grew. His final effort created a much-needed resource, a firearm range, for the Kauai Community and hopefully they will acknowledge his strength by protecting and preserving it.

Unfortunately, for those of us who loved him, he was unable to heal from his injuries and this loss has created a void in our hearts that can only filled by… More Surfing! Or participating in whatever leisure activities you find enjoyable! Reminding ourselves of his example to live, love, laugh and be kind and generous. Teach others to enjoy all life has to offer as he did for you. Pass it on.

Please join the celebrations of his life in either, or both, Hollywood Beach California in March 2021 or Thanksgiving 2021 Luau in Kapaa, Kauai, Hawaii. Donations can be made at the Kauai Food Bank.

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