Jerry Weltner

Jerry Weltner passed away on October 6, 2017 after a long fight with kidney cancer. He loved family, friends, and motorcycles. Jerry had a lifelong passion for connecting with people, serving as a one-man fantastic welcoming committee and leader for many communities and organizations.

He was born in Kodiak, Alaska (before it was a state) in 1955 to Gerald (Jerry, Sr.) and Lenora (Lynn) Weltner. His father was in the Navy, so Jerry and his family lived many places including Virginia, Florida, Japan, Guam, and Mississippi. He often bragged that he had attended 13 schools before college.

Jerry attended Oregon State University and was in the ROTC program. It was there that he met his wife, Anne. They were married in 1977, 6 days after college graduation and Jerry’s commission into the Navy. After a year in the Navy, Jerry received a medical discharge for his insulin-dependent diabetes.

Family at Katie’s wedding

Jerry and Anne continued to live in Alameda, California, where Jerry became a marketing specialist in the young field of computer software. He worked at several software companies, and eventually moved to Redmond to work for Microsoft in 1987.

Redmond became his home for the next 30 years, forming deep relationships in a wide range of communities and organizations. Always passionate about building relationships and welcoming people, Jerry was a mainstay to many organizations including Toastmasters, Redmond United Methodist Church, Congregations for the Homeless, Open Kitchen, Gold Wing Touring Association, and Wing Washington. His energy, enthusiasm, and organizational abilities were a huge asset to these groups and others where Jerry created lifelong friends.

Jerry is survived by his wife, Anne; his mother, Lynn; and his children and their spouses, Matt (Kate) and Katie (Richard). He was loved by many and will be missed.

A service celebrating Jerry’s life will be held on Saturday, October 21st at 11AM at Redmond United Methodist Church (16540 NE 80th St Redmond, WA). A potluck lunch will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to Overlake Cancer Center and Open Kitchen Redmond.

Overlake Cancer Center: https://www.overlakehospital.org/ways-to-give/opportunities-for-giving/support-cancer-center-care/

Open Kitchen Redmond: http://openkitchenredmond.com/