Gerald (Jerry) W. Harkleroad
June 25, 1937 – November 2, 2026
Gerald (Jerry) W. Harkleroad, a resident of Bellevue for over 58 years, passed away peacefully at hospice care on November 2, 2026 after a short battle with aggressive pancreatic cancer, surrounded by family.
He was born on June 25, 1937 to Laverne and Isabella Harkleroad in Blaine, WA. He spent his early years in Blaine before the family moved to Ferndale where his father opened a Shell gas station at the corner of 3rd and Vista Drive. It later became a Mobil station with the opening of the Mobil Cherry Point refinery in the early 1950s.
While living a stones throw from the railroad tracks in Ferndale, Jerry developed a life long passion of railroading, in particular steam locomotives. He took many journeys on steam trains throughout North America with his fellow rail fans. He was especially fond of the Great Northern Railroad, the Union Pacific “Big Boy,” and the Southern Pacific “4449” steam locomotives in all their glory.
He was also an avid hunter and fisherman throughout his life. Hunting took him to Alberta for moose, Washington and Wyoming for elk and deer and upland birds, Whatcom and Skagit counties for ducks. He spent many days on Puget Sound salmon fishing and the rivers of Washington and Montana fly fishing. While in high school and college he worked during the summers for the Alaska Packers Association at Semiahmoo, skippering the fishing vessels “Tana” and “Cascade.”.
Jerry graduated from Ferndale High School in the class of 1955, where he lettered in basketball and baseball. He then graduated from the University of Washington in 1960. In June of 1960, he married Catherine Cresap of Battle Ground, WA. He began working for the city of Vancouver, WA as a city planner. They were soon blessed with twin boys, Michael and Steven in April 1961. William followed in 1968.
In the mid ‘60s the family moved to the Seattle area, finally settling in Bellevue where he worked for the Somerset Development Corp and later began a residential land development company in King County until his retirement.
He was a past president of the Bellevue Lions Club and also coached his sons in basketball and soccer where he was able to rely heavily on a neighbor from Holland who played semi pro soccer in his native land!
He was active in his church, leading many groups in their faith journeys. Jerry and his wife were able to see Pope John Paul II during a trip to Rome and the Holy Land in the early 2000s.
Jerry lived a full and active life with his wife until her passing in 2008. In 2013, he found love again with Ms. Kathy Cato of Bellevue with whom he spent his remaining years.
Jerry is survived by his sons Michael (Cataline) of Blaine, Steven (Christine) of Duvall, and William (Carmen) of Vancouver, WA; granddaughters Ashlyn, Krista, Sarah, and Amanda; great-grandchildren Michael Jr., and Madeline. He thoroughly enjoyed being a grandfather and great-grandfather.
He is deeply loved and will be missed by his family and enormous circle of friends cultivated over his lifetime. His passing has created an empty space in our lives that will never be filled in.
There will be a Rosary at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Bellevue WA on December 2 at 4 p.m., and funeral Mass and service will be at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Bellevue, WA on December 3, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. Burial will be at Holyrood Catholic Cemetery, Shoreline, WA next to his beloved wife Catherine following church services.
