Nov. 6, 1941- Oct. 30, 2016
Jerry was born in Trail, British Columbia, the fourth of six children. He attended elementary school in Kamloops. After graduating from Junior High School in Vernon, he went to seminary in Mission, British Columbia and St. Albert, Alberta.
He was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1965 in his home parish of St. James, Vernon, BC, where he became the assistant priest for 2 years. For the next ten years he worked in the diocese of Kamloops, most of that time at the Cathedral in Kamloops, where he was appointed Rector in 1975.
In 1988, he was appointed priest at St. Jude’s Catholic Church in 100 Mile House. One year later he resigned from the priesthood to be married. Jerry and Beverly moved to Bridge Lake. Jerry worked as appliance technician and certified electrician in the 100 Mile House area.
After his mother passed away in November 2004, Jerry moved to Vernon and continued to work in the Okanagan.
For the past 2 years he lived and worked at the Kamloops diocese retreat centre in Cache Creek.
Jerry was a very generous person and shared his talents with friends and his family.
He is survived by his wife Karol Biollo; his sister Arlene Bergonder; her children Darcy Meers, (Taylor, Trevor & Natalie) Paul and Kevin Bergonder; his brother Amerigo; his brother Stephen and sister-in-law Kathy (Shaun, Jenna).
He was predeceased by his parents Amerigo and Guiditta, his brothers Kenneth and Leo and brother-in-law Leonard Bergonder.
The funeral service was held at “Our Lady of Perpetual Help” in Kamloops on November 5, the day before his 75th birthday. The interment will be at Pleasant Valley Cemetery in Vernon, British Columbia in the spring of 2017.