Gerald J. “Gerry” Herrera, 70, beloved husband, father, engineer, and community volunteer, died peacefully on September 23, 2026, at his home in Queen Creek, Arizona, after a brief battle with stage 4 colon cancer. Born April 26, 1956, in Gallup, New Mexico, to John Herrera and Chiyo Miyamura, Gerry was the youngest of six children and grew up in a close-knit family that instilled in him a strong work ethic and deep pride in community. He was raised in Gamerco, New Mexico, a coal mining melting pot of cultures, enduring about a decade in a home with only an outhouse toilet.
Gerry graduated from Gallup High School in 1974 and pursued a degree in Electrical Engineering at DeVry Institute of Technology in Phoenix. He launched a career in missile navigation systems software and development, working for Litton Guidance & Control Systems in California and Utah for more than 15 years. He found professional fulfillment due to his attention to detailed work and a strong desire to save lives through military technological advancements. In the 1990s, he and his family returned to Gallup and opened CNET Co., an internet provider and computer repair business. He later served his hometown as city manager and then as an engineering specialist at the McKinley County Metro Dispatch Authority. Gerry and his wife, Patti, retired in 2018 to Phoenix, Arizona.
In 1973, Patti Teshima asked a then shy Gerry to the Gallup High School’s Sadie Hawkins Dance. The high school sweethearts married in 1977 and later raised one daughter, Rebecca, who was the center of his life. In retirement, Gerry rediscovered his love of woodworking and family genealogy, taking pride in projects completed for family and friends. He engaged in intellectual discussions with old classmates and neighbors over social media about politics, HOA guidelines, and water rights. He also honored family legacy through service on the McKinley Education Foundation Hiroshi Miyamura High School Scholarship Fund volunteer board, a tribute to his uncle Hershey Miyamura, a Korean War Medal of Honor recipient. Shortly after moving to Queen Creek in 2019, Gerry became a volunteer Board Member for Saving Grace Lutheran Church. He donated his time and materials by designing and implementing a secure local network, installing brick pavers at youth community center, and helping build and paint bookshelves for the church office.
Gerry faced his final illness with honesty and humility. Diagnosed in mid-2026 with advanced colon cancer that had spread to his liver, he underwent surgery and treatment before transitioning to hospice care. He acknowledged choices he wished he had made sooner and used his final weeks to be with family. Gerry shared fond memories of his childhood with siblings and close cousins and treasured phone calls with family and friends. He also reminisced about traveling to Alaska a couple of times with family, Belgium for work, Japan to visit relatives, and China with the Gallup McKinley County Chamber of Commerce.
He was predeceased by infant sister Lenore, a baby boy, and his older sister, Nancy Ortiz. Gerry is survived by his wife, Patti; daughter, Rebecca; older brothers Michael Herrera and John Herrera; and many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family. Services will be held at Savings Grace Lutheran Church on November 28, 2026, at 10:30 AM. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the McKinley Education Foundation HMHS Scholarship Fund. Condolences may be shared with the family through the church at www.savinggracelc.org or the foundation at www.mckinleykids.org.