Gerald J. Kaufman, Sr.

Gerald J. Kaufman, Sr., Loving husband of Elizabeth (nee Yanko) for over 74  years, devoted father of Gerald Jr. (deceased), Michael (Pamala), and Deborah.  His easy-going manner and sense of humor made him a favorite among his  many nieces, nephews and friends.

After serving in the US Army Air Corps, Gerald worked at NASA for over 30  years. He was a master machinist and worked on experimentation with early jet  engines, wing design and de-icing, in addition to projects for the Mercury,  Gemini and Apollo space missions. He was an Experimental Scientific  Glassblower for specialty experiments on Apollo, examining the characteristics  of fluids and fuel in zero gravity. At least one of his creations is in the Great  Lakes Science Center and another is said to be in the Smithsonian.

Gerald was born in Cleveland and raised in Broadview Heights. He met his love,  Elizabeth, at the Aragon Ballroom. They married in 1949, he built their family  home, danced, golfed and with the family travelled the country. Social  gatherings including food and games - volleyball, baseball, cards, and Dominos  were an important part of life with the Kaufmans.

He was a master woodworker using his skills to craft furniture, boats, several  campers and even a hang glider. Together with Elizabeth, he designed and  created beautiful items for their home, Assumption church, family and friends.  He was self-taught, always curious about how things worked and could fix  anything. He was always available to offer his skills to anyone who needed  help.

Gerald once explained his secret to a long life, “one wife, one home, one family, one job - it’s simple.”

Family suggests donations to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital,  501 St. Jude Place,  Memphis, TN 38105  - https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html or to Ideastream Media, 1375 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, 44115 - https://www.ideastream.org/donate-now

A mass of Christian burial will be held on Tuesday, June 20 at 11:00 am at Assumption Church, 9183 Broadview Road, Broadview Heights. Family will receive friends at the church on Tuesday from 10:00 until time of service.  Everyone is invited to the Assumption School Fellowship Hall for a luncheon immediately following mass.