Obituary of Gerald States

Gerald "Jerry" Thomas States, 70, passed away at home on March 5, 2015, with family by his side. Jerry was born on April 1, 1944, at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the youngest of four children of Lloyd and Ruby States. Jerry served and was Honorably Discharged from the United States Air Force in June, 1963. He earned an Associate Degree in Electronics Technology and was employed by Monroe, "The Calculator Company", where he met and fell in love with Maxine Johnson. They were married in April, 1975 and made their home in Denver. He welcomed being friend, dad, and grandpa to Maxine's grown children and their families. Eventually they left Monroe and opened Mountain States Printing; and with long hours and dedication grew it into one of the most successful printing businesses in the area. They sold the business after 16 years, and in 1999 decided to make their home in Goodyear, Arizona, where he became a Norwegian, as he said, by osmosis. While in Arizona, Jerry became serious about golfing and also mastered the art of wood carving. In 2005 Maxine suffered a stroke, and after Jerry underwent surgery for lung cancer in 2008 they returned to Colorado permanently where they made their home in Aurora. He continued to golf every chance he got, and fit in some wood carving when he could. Jerry was a loving, devoted husband, caring for Maxine until she died in January 2012. Early in 2013 Jerry met Ann Richardson, and together they shared many happy adventures and, of course, golf. He is survived by his step-son Steve (Kay) Johnson of Council Bluffs, IA; step-daughters Sally Hughes of Aurora, CO, and Mary Hovland of Stevensville, MT; eight grandchildren, Shanna (Greg) Baker of Olathe, CO; Kelly Berhene of Cedar Rapids, IA; Mike Johnson of Colorado Springs, CO; Matthew Johnson of Council Bluffs, IA; Mindy (Doug) Midcap-Wager of Centennial, CO; Katrina Hughes of Denver, CO; Michelle (Robb) Rivera of Aurora, CO; Zackery (Sonja) Gupton of Aurora, CO; eight great-grandchildren; brothers Edward (Carol) States of San Diego, CA and Dean (Myrna) States of Colorado Springs, CO; sister June Orren of Denver, CO. He is preceded in death by his parents; his son, Larry; and Maxine, loving wife of 37 years. A Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday, March 18, 2015, 2:00 p.m. at Augustana Lutheran Church, 5000 E. Alameda Ave. in Denver. Memorials may be designated to: Augustana Lutheran Church, 5000 E Alameda Ave., Denver, CO 80246; The Denver Hospice, 501 S. Cherry St., #700, Denver, CO 80246; The Salvation Army, Donation Processing Center, PO Box 60006, Prescott, AZ 86304-6006 -or- Charity of your Choice. Service Information