Obituary of Gerald Roy Visser

Gerald Roy Visser, 89, of Greeley, Colorado passed away January 19, 2022. He was born January 2, 1933 to Cornelius and Minnie (Ballast) Visser in Grand Rapids, Michigan and grew up there. Jerry’s parents moved the family to Denver in 1948 where he attended South High School. Though he did not graduate from South, he later received his GED and began taking classes at CU in Boulder. He then enlisted in the United States Navy. As the son of a carpenter, Jerry decided to serve in the Naval Construction Batallion , better known as the SeaBees, and learn the construction trades. Jerry met Illa Reich at church and they got married in 1953. They started a family and eventually had five kids together. He and a partner started building small houses in the Littleton, CO area during the late 1950’s into the 1960’s. Jerry later worked as a construction superintendent for Perlmutters Construction when they built out the Southglenn neighborhood in Littleton and for Writer Construction in the Devil’s Thumb development near Boulder. Jerry worked selling lumber for Denver Lumber Company for many years before the desire to build hit him once again. As the owner of G.R. Visser Construction he built over 30 custom homes. One was for Illa and him in Monument, CO where they lived for 25 years. Some of the others were for his kids. He passed on his love for building to them in the process. Jerry is survived by his wife Illa of Greeley; his children Timothy Visser and wife Sherri of Greeley, Elizabeth Jones of Munds Park, Arizona, Robert Visser of Casper, Wyoming, and Dirk Visser and wife Peige of Fairfield, Ohio; his brother Robert Visser and wife Jane of Alabama; 6 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, his daughter Joy Lynn Visser, and siblings Bill Visser, Ron Visser, Ruth Rosendale, and Aleen Winstanley. A memorial service is being planned for a later date. Friends may send condolences to the family at adamsoncares.com. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Tunnel to Towers Foundation in the name of Gerald Visser c/o Adamson Life Celebration Home, 2000 47th Ave., Greeley, CO 80634.