Gerald Lewald

It is with sadness that the Lewald Family announces that Gerald (affectionately known as German) Lewald fell asleep peacefully in his camper on January 16, 2025. He had been battling health issues for many years and we are grateful that he is at rest. 

Predeceased by his Papa, Bernhard Lewald (2010) and his younger brother, Ralph Lewald (2008).

Survived by his brother, Norbert (Deborah) Lewald, sister, Angela (Werner) Mantei, and sister, Heike (David) Reeves along with nieces and nephews, Jonathan, Joan, Sara, Sam, Justin, Aaron, Evelyn, Andrea, Erica and Shannon and even more great nieces and nephews! (Aiden, Kenneth, Joseph, Caedance, Sydney, Aimee, Abigail, Eric, Mia, Mauve, Hannah, Ethan, Madelyn, Annalise, Hunter and Harper) 

The Lewald Family’s early years were in York, Nebraska. German (as he was known to all his family and friends) graduated from York High School and enlisted in the Air Force and worked as a heavy equipment operator. He lived in Tucson, Arizona for over 30 years and then moved to St. Joseph, Michigan to be closer to family. Around 2014 German moved from St. Joseph to North Carolina, perhaps to be in a bit of a warmer climate as his preference always was to be in shorts and sandals!

German was a jack of all trades; he could fix anything and build anything. An extremely resourceful guy! The king of all tools and gadgets – you needed something, he had it, just like his Papa! If you needed something repaired or figured out, he was your go-to guy. Of course, you did have to put up with his unique sense of humour and insights, but if you weren’t rolling your eyes, you were laughing – or doing both! The great outdoors was his favorite place to be and he loved living in his camper. Camping, fishing, biking, cooking… all things that he loved to do and preferred to do it on his own or with only a few others, crowds were not his thing. He had a love for animals, it didn’t matter if it was the birds around him, cats, dogs, or his beloved ferrets in years gone by. Frodo was his favorite! But even more, he loved family and would do anything for them. German will be dearly missed by the whole extended family – until we meet again.