Jeraldine C. "Jerrie" Mercurio

Jeraldine Carol “Jerrie” Mercurio, 80, of Port Huron, died Saturday, December 23, 2017.

She was born in 1937 in Enterprise, Oregon to the late Edwin and Pauline Vandeburgh. Jerrie was raised in the Lewiston ID & Clarkston WA area.

She was a proficient stunt-team water-skier & parachute skier on the Snake River and couldn’t swim. In the mid 50’s, she married Leo Wiscarson who later preceded her. She put herself through college by sewing period costumes for the college theatre and became a registered nurse in 1960. She moved to Cocoa Beach FL in 1965 and worked in a doctor’s office. She later moved to Saint Augustine and worked as a technical writer and an executive secretary for Fairchild Aviation in Florida.

Jerrie married Paul Mercurio in 1975 in Jacksonville FL. She worked in the personnel department for the startup of the first can manufacturing company for Anheuser- Bush. After moving to Michigan in 1976, she worked at Port Huron Hospital as an administrator and later worked as a secretary and then as a purchasing agent for Anchor Holth Manufacturing Co.

She became interested in art work with oils being her favorite medium and pen and ink with oil wash as her second. She would counter cross stitch on fine linen taking 600 to 800 hours to do one picture. She also loved designing and sewed many prom and wedding dresses for her friends.

From 1991, for the next 22 years of retirement, summers were spent RV traveling all of North America with three summers in Alaska. She never made a trip to the maritime provinces or RI.

She was a 50+ year member of Beta Sigma Phi (Laureate Beta Alpha) and also a member of the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary for more than 35 years.

Jeraldine is survived by three sisters; her husband, Paul; sons, Leo Wiscarson Jr. of Port Huron and Tony Mercurio of Hampton Roads, VA; a daughter, Deborah Parker of St Petersburg, FL; and several grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Visitation will be held 2-4 and 6-9 pm on Thursday, December 28, 2017 at Karrer-Simpson Funeral Home. A short Beta Sigma Phi ritual will be held at 7 p.m.

Jeraldine will lie in state from 10 a.m. until the time of the Funeral Mass at 11 a.m. on Friday, December 29, 2017 in Holy Trinity Parish, St. Stephen Church. The Very Reverend Salvatore Palazzolo, K.H.S. will officiate. Pallbearers will be Jerry Mercurio, Scott Mercurio, Leo Wiscarson, Nick Lucas, Mike Burrows and Larry Babin. Honorary Pallbearer will be John Mercurio. Cremation will take place following her funeral services.

In lieu of flowers, memorial tributes may be made to cancer research, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital or a church of your choice.