Gerald "Jerry" Eugene Schwafel of Anacortes WA, beloved husband and father, passed away after losing his battle with C. Diff (Clostridioides difficile bacterial infection) on October 12, 2021, a month after his 87th birthday.

Jerry led a full and wholesome life.  His passing leaves a deep void in the life of his wife, Pat, and the family.  This abridged notice of his death gives but a glimpse of the highlights of his life.  A full tribute will be available at his memorial site, at Evans Funeral Chapel, when it is completed.

Jerry was born in San Luis Obispo CA on September 12, 1934; the son of Emanuel and Eunice (Brown) Schwafel.  He served as an acolyte at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in San Luis Obispo.  In August of 1949, his family moved to Palo Alto CA where he joined the Sea Scouts which offered opportunities to nourish his passion for boating.  Jerry graduated from Palo Alto High School, class of '52.   In March 1953, during the Korean War, Jerry enlisted in the U.S. Air Force.  In July of that year the war ended, yet the Korean conflict continued, and Jerry completed jet fighter maintenance school in Amarillo TX. He was then stationed at Davis Monthan-Tucson Air Force Base where he joined the Strategic Air Command and maintained the Boeing B-47 Stratojet.  After an assignment in Germany, in 1957 he completed his four-year Air Force commitment and continued four more years of reserve duty while beginning his 34-year career with Hewlett-Packard Company in Palo Alto.

In 1968 Jerry worked extensively on the design of Hewlett-Packard's globe-girdling DC-6B cargo aircraft which was converted to a flying laboratory used to showcase HP's instrumentation to various countries. Having earned his private pilot's license, he was privileged to fly as co-pilot with Quinn N. Sowell in the HP airplane from Santa Monica to Oakland when Quinn let Jerry take the controls.  (It is said that "The High and The Mighty" novel by Ernest Gann was based on one of Quinn's flights). The emphasis of Jerry's HP career was in management with a focus on publications and art direction until his retirement in 1991.

Over the years with HP, Jerry moved from Palo Alto to Santa Clara, Santa Rosa and then to Spokane WA, where he met his wife of 37 years, Pat (Hubbard). They married in 1984 bringing together a loving and growing blended family.

Jerry was predeceased in death by his parents: Emanuel and Eunice (Brown) Schwafel; his former wives: Mary (mother of his daughters Lynn and Carol); Cindy (mother of his daughter Jill).  He is survived by his wife Pat; his daughters and sons-in-law: Lynn (Rob Endo), Carol (Jeff Bear), Jill (Eric Altorfer), stepdaughter Chrystal (Jim Booth); 9 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren; sister Betty (Jim Wall); numerous cousins, nieces, nephews.

To honor Jerry's memory donations are suggested to his favorite charity: St Jude's Children's Research Hospital | Mailing address: 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.  A Memorial Service for Jerry will be held in the Spring of 2022.

Please bookmark this link to his memorial site: www.evanschapel.com/obituary/jerry-schwafel to check for updates to his life story and photos that will be added there; and to share memories of Jerry with his family.