Paul Gerlach

Paul Donald Gerlach, 92, of Cape Girardeau passed away Tuesday, July 11, 2023, at Lutheran Home.

Paul was the son of Paul Samuel Gottlieb and Hattie Ida Maevers Gerlach and was born at home near Hobbs Chapel overlooking the Mississippi River.

He was the loving husband of Mary J. Engram Gerlach. They met in high school and were married for 72 years.

Paul served in the U.S. Air Force for four years and loved his country. He was also a member of American Legion in Cape Girardeau.

Paul was a graduate of Trinity Lutheran School, College High and University of Missouri-Rolla with an electrical engineering degree.

He spent his career mostly with Emerson Electric in military avionics on the B52-H Bomber Tail Defense and F-5E fighter aircraft as an engineer and program manager. His first assignment was the B-58 Bomber Tail Defense System. During this time, he and the family lived in St. Louis; Fort Worth, Texas; Wichita, Kansas; Munich, Germany; and California, with Paul also traveling to Egypt. He also served as program manager on the T-37 Program for Sabreliner and traveled to Pakistan and Thailand.

Paul was a private pilot and loved flying and fishing. Paul loved his family and family activities. Reading was high on his list of pleasures, as were the three card club groups he and Mary belonged to.

Everywhere they lived, they were active in the Lutheran Church in the area and, after moving back to Cape Girardeau in 1987, Paul held various offices in all the churches he attended, and he was also a member of Trinity Lutheran Church. He also volunteered at SoutheastHEALTH for many years.

Paul and Mary had three children, Sid (Pam) Gerlach and David (Lisa) Gerlach, both of Cape Girardeau, and a daughter, Julie (Mark) Martin of Fenton, Missouri. Paul is also survived by eight grandchildren, Seth, Emily, Merritt, Erin and Sam Gerlach and Shane, Jessie and Mike Martin; and nine great-grandchildren, Lucy, Palmer and Mary Caroline Holzum, Stella Proffer, Reid, Vida and Miller Keys, Gus Gerlach and Rose Jercinovic.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Bobby Gene Gerlach of Jackson and Harold Lee Gerlach of Cape Girardeau.

Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon Friday, July 14, at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

Funeral will follow at noon Friday, July 14, at the funeral home, with the Revs. Paul Short and Douglas Breite officiating.

Entombment will be at Cape County Memorial Park Mausoleum in Cape Girardeau.

Memorial contributions may be given to Saxony Lutheran High School, 2004 Saxony Drive, Jackson, MO 63755, or Trinity Lutheran Church, 100 N. Frederick St., Cape Girardeau, MO 63701.

Online condolences may be sent at www.fordandsonsfuneralhome.com.