Obituary of Gerald C. Damaske

Gerald Damaske Obituary Born October 16, 1953; died July 3, 2023. Gerry fought valiantly against urothelial cancer for 3 &½ years. He died peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family. He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Lynn; daughters Susan (Mike) May and Laura Damaske (Tim Meder); grandchildren Marisol, Gerry, and Carter May; brothers David (Nicolet) Damaske and Richard (Claire) Damaske; brother-in- law Alan Lockwood; nieces and nephews. Gerry was pre-deceased by his parents John and Mary Damaske. Calling hours will be Monday, July 10 from 2-4 and 6-8 PM at Fuller Funeral Home, Inc. 190 Buffalo St. Canandaigua. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, July 11 at 2 PM at the United Church of Bristol. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the V Foundation for cancer research or the Wilmot Cancer Center, Rochester NY. Gerald "Gerry" Damaske, "Big D" "Chicken Man", was born in Canandaigua October 16, 1953. He grew up on his family's farm in Bloomfield NY, and attended college at Cornell where he received a degree in Ag Engineering. He married his high school sweetheart, Lynn, in 1977; and they had two daughters, Susan and Laura. Years on the farm were filled with collecting eggs, family parties, attending soccer and basketball games, and vacationing yearly with good family friends. The poultry farm was converted to crops of corn, hay and straw when Lynn began teaching school in 1984; and then to a golf course, Parkview Fairways in 1994. Gerry helped in the construction and was the superintendent once the course was opened. His brother David was a vital partner in all endeavors and his brother-in-law Alan joined as a partner in founding the golf course. After David bought out both other partners in 2005, Gerry worked part-time driving school bus for Bloomfield and Victor, and mowing fairways for Penfield Golf course. He retired completely in 2011, enjoying winters in The Villages, Florida and summers in Bloomfield. Gerry loved golf! When first introduced to the game by Lynn's mother, he scoffed that it was an "old man's game" and still preferred playing basketball for a while. But as he played more and improved, he grew to love it more and more. He was a lifetime member at Victor Hills before building his own course based on Victor's business model of turning a farm into a golf course and gaining investors by selling life memberships. After retiring, he loved walking across the road every morning to play at Parkview. In the Villages, he enjoyed making new friends and playing mainly at Orange Blossom, the course in his back yard. Besides golf, Gerry liked to swim and hike. He swam an hour for exercise every day in the Villages. A favorite summer afternoon could include riding his beloved Honda Gold Wing (with Lynn on the back!) to a park such as Watkins Glen, Stoney Brook, or Letchworth; taking a nature hike for an hour; then stopping at a brewery for an IPA beer on the way home. Pickleball was a new activity in the Villages that Gerry immediately excelled at...with his long arms it was hard to get the ball past him! When Gerry wasn't actively playing sports, riding his motorcycle, mowing the lawn, or fixing some piece of machinery, he relaxed lying on the couch and watching the Yankees or the current PGA golf tournament. Gerry loved adventures and new experiences! Whether it was river rafting in Colorado with Laura and Lynn; zip-lining or snorkeling with Susan and the grandkids; riding the motorcycle across the country to visit national parks; or learning to scuba-dive with John Paulsen in Jamaica; he was always ready for new excitement. He had big ideas! Building a golf course, building a new house, buying a house in Florida; he often pushed his wife Lynn to go beyond her comfort zone of the status quo. They always said that they "made a good team". Gerry was hard-working, stubborn, opinionated, the epitome of a German farmer. He could fix any piece of machinery, either by figuring it out himself or watching YouTube videos for guidance. He was mostly a quiet man, though, letting his wife and daughter Susan do all the talking! Behind his "tough guy" façade, he had a soft side, especially for his daughters and three grandchildren who he enjoyed immensely. He loved to laugh; tease and tickle his grandchildren; needle and rib his golf buddies! Gerry will be remembered fondly and missed greatly by his many friends and family. We are grateful to all of Gerry's doctors and health care teams both at Strong Memorial Hospital and Florida Cancer Center in the Villages. Their care and support helped make the last four years a time of peace and joy for Gerry and his whole family. A special thanks to the home hospice team from Strong who were immensely supportive for Gerry's final journey. To share a memory or express condolences online please visit www.fullerfh.com