On Friday, October 6, at the age of 61, Gerald Joseph Cross, known to friends and family as Jerry, lost his long fought battle with diabetes and its related complications. Jerry, the son of Edwin and Marion "Patty" Cross, was born on January 25, 1962 in Weymouth, Massachusetts. Jerry considered Hampton Virginia his home after being honorably discharged from the Navy in June of 1991, having become a proud "plank owner" of the USS Wasp. Jerry is survived by his wife of nearly 30 years, Melanie, daughter, Elizabeth "Biz", and stepdaughter, Sarah. Additionally, Jerry leaves behind his mother, Patty, brother Michael and his wife Becky; sister Sally, her husband Glen and their daughter Ashley; brother Edwin, his wife Maureen and their three children Kevin, his wife Michelle, Maggie and Marc; brother Andrew; and brother, Danny, his wife Mary and their three children Emily, her husband Ryan, Paul and Caroline. He also has left behind six grand nieces and nephews Levi, Maeve, Teddy, Kaleb, Maisyn and Declan. Brother-in-law William Luinetti and nieces Katarina and Maria and their husbands Joel and Mark are also amongst those who Jerry has left behind. The multitude of individuals who call Jerry "friend" are too numerous to name as he never met a stranger. Although the symptoms of his illness have interfered with his passions during recent years, Jerry loved to golf with his buddies and brothers, camp with family friends, travel to his hometown to attend family gatherings and celebrations, attend the occasional wine festival in Norfolk or steeplechase horse races at the old fairgrounds in Richmond and eventually Colonial Downs and generally socialize for any and all occasions, telling tales from his Naval exploits.

Family and friends will gather for a celebration of Jerry's life on Thursday, October 12 at R. Hayden Smith Funeral Home in Hampton, Virginia. The family will receive celebrants beginning at 12:30 PM with a ceremony commencing at 2:00. Jerry's friends are encouraged to write down Jerry-themed stories and bring them along to share with Biz. She plans to compile these with her old favorites to create a volume of "Dad Stories" as a keepsake. Although they are appreciated, in lieu of flowers, the family would prefer a donation be made in Jerry's name to the American Diabetes Association.