Gerald (Jerry) Richard Circelli passed away peacefully Jan. 21 after spending the morning hunting with his beloved son and grandson. His prized duck-hunting dog, Maggie, whom he trained from the time she was a puppy, remained loyally at his side after he passed. His family and friends wish him happy trails until we meet again.

Born and raised in Utica, New York, Jerry became a Texan when he moved to the Lone Star State in 1980 alongside his wife, Joan, and one-year-old daughter, Christa. There, they added a son, Vincent, and another daughter, Gina, to complete their family and were happily married for 45 years.

Jerry was a generous, warm, funny man who centered his life on his wife, children, grandchildren, friends, and family (including his parents and grandparents who preceded him). His Catholic faith was of great importance throughout his life.

As an avid outdoorsman, he often tied his own flies for fishing and enjoyed sharing his love of nature with family and friends. He raised cattle and was a skilled leather craftsman.

A man of many talents, Jerry was a brother of TKE fraternity and a member of Rotary Club and Knights of Columbus. He was a long-distance cyclist who could log 100 miles per ride in the middle of smoldering Texas summers. While he and his wife were longtime horse riders, he even dabbled in cowboy-mounted shooting, living out his childhood silver-screen-cowboy dreams. In addition, a 2022 trip with family to Ireland sparked his strong interest in falconry.

He was an award-winning writer and public relations expert who wrote for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Morning News, North Texas Catholic, Baseball Digest, Cowboys & Indians, Greenhouse Manager, American Paint Horse Association and various other local and national publications. He recently published a book detailing the history of the Catholic Church in Fort Worth titled, Beyond the Frontiers of Faith.

He leaves behind a living legacy of survivors who will sorely miss him and deeply remember him: his wife, Joan; his children Christa Yanez, Gina Mulcahy, and Vinny Circelli and their spouses Arturo, Austin, and Chelsea; his 8 grandchildren Isabella, Raphael, Emiliana, Vincent Jr., Evangeline, Jude, Joseph Michael, and Stella Gerry; his sister Patricia (Patti) and countless friends.

Jerry's Mass of Christian Burial is Saturday, January 28, at 12:00 p.m. (noon) at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Aledo, Texas. In lieu of flowers please consider donations to St. Jude's Research Hospital. www.StJude.org.

A rosary will be said at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church on Friday, January 27 at 6:00 p.m