Devoted mother, nurse, longtime resident
Gerry Ortler. (Courtesy photo)
Gertrude “Gerry” E. Ortler, 85, a resident of Harvard for 61 years, died peacefully on Friday, July 22, 2022, after a sudden illness.
Born in Ayer on Oct. 12, 1936, Gerry was the second of three children born to Anastasia Kolonoski and George Urling. Her childhood years living and working on a poultry farm in Townsend inspired her lifelong appreciation for the simple life, nature, and the great outdoors.
Gerry married Edmund A. Ortler in 1961 and they moved to Harvard later that year. They settled in their dream home on the shores of Bare Hill Pond and raised their four children. They were active in their church and strong in their Christian faith and beliefs. They had been married for 51 years when Ed died in August of 2012.
Having graduated as an RN from the Mt. Auburn School of Nursing in 1957, Gerry worked as a nurse throughout her adult life. Her career included experience working in hospitals, elder care facilities, private duty, hemodialysis centers, and as a substitute school nurse and camp nurse.
Gerry was known for her love of chocolate, dogs, with special affection for her black lab Tasha, and outdoor activities, particularly walking in the woods, blueberry picking, and skiing. She enjoyed word games and music from the big-band years, and eagerly awaited the arrival of snow every winter. Most of all, Gerry loved her family and friends and treasured the time that she spent with everyone.
Gerry is survived and missed by her brother, George Urling, and his wife, Freda, of California; brother-in-law, Raymond, of Massachusetts; daughter, Lisa, and her husband, Ron, of Texas and their children Emily and Sarah; son, Edmund, and his wife, Jennie, of California and their children Hannah and Will; son, John, of California; daughter, Faith, and her husband, Andrés, of the Dominican Republic; nieces, Sue of Oregon, Sue and Linda of Massachusetts, and Sarah of Maine; and nephews, Corvi and Jacob of California.
The family extends its heartfelt gratitude to the caregivers who lovingly assisted Gerry these past few years.
Gerry has been laid to rest with her husband, Ed, at the Bellevue Cemetery in Harvard. A celebration of Gerry’s life will be held in the spring.
For those wishing to make a donation in memory of Gerry, some suggested organizations are the Harvard Council on Aging, the Harvard Public Library, Heifer International, and the Faith Evangelical Free Church of Acton, Massachusetts.
