Gerald J. Ouellette

Gerald John Ouellette "Mitakuye Oyasin" Gerry Ouellette, 81, of Plymouth, NH, passed over peacefully, with his wife Janet at his side, at the Jack Byrne Hospice Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock in Lebanon, NH, on October 24, 2020. Gerry, who always said, "You can call me anything, just don't call me late for dinner," was born at home in the middle of a snowstorm, in Jaffrey, NH, on March 30, 1939. He was the son of Charles Eugene and Marie Louise (Fontaine) Ouellette. Gerry grew up in Jaffrey. He spent his childhood playing baseball, fishing, and enjoying being outside in the woods. He graduated from Conant High School in 1957. Gerry started at UNH in the Engineering Program, but quickly switched to his first love, Forestry. He belonged to Alpha Gamma Rho and graduated in 1961 with a B.S. in Forestry. Gerry joined the US Army in 1961 as a 1st Lt. in the artillery. He served in Korea in the 7th Infantry Division, Hourglass. From 1962-1981, Gerry was married to Jean Dickson Freyermuth. They had two children, Wendi Jean (Ouellette) DeGrandpre and William Charles Ouellette. After his discharge from the Army, Gerry completed his Masters in Outdoor Recreation at UMASS. Gerry worked at Point Sebago Lake, Maine, in outdoor recreation. He then went on to own and operate a woodworking business, and then Kleen Sweep Chimney Services in the Monadnock Region for 15 years. From 1982-1994, Gerry was married to Louise "Pat" Grummon Bryant. They lived at the Gray Goose Farm in Jaffrey with their blended family. In 1993, Gerry took a Native American flute-making workshop with Grandfather Hollis Littlecreek, an Ojibway Elder. After that, the direction of his woodworking changed and he started making and selling flutes through his business, Raven Song Flutes. In 2001, Gerry moved to Plymouth, NH, where he enjoyed working in his new wood shop, gardening, doing projects with his tractor, cutting wood and visiting with family and friends. Gerry is survived by his wife of eighteen years, Janet R. Dearborn of Plymouth; his children, Wendi J. DeGrandpre of Georgia and William C. Ouellette of Wisconsin; 6 grandchildren; 2 stepdaughters, Katherine B. Kroeger of Norwell, Ma. and Kelly A. Blake of Nashua NH; 3 step-grandchildren; a sister, Anna B. Wall, of Salem, NH; a niece and a nephew. A Zoom Celebration of Gerry's Life will be on Saturday, November 14, at 2pm. Please contact Janet Dearborn at jrdear@toast.net Or Kelly Blake at kab717@yahoo.com for the link.

Tributes

Gerald J. Ouellette

March 30, 1939 - October 24, 2020