Dr. Gerald “Jerry” Thornell, 73, died Oct. 18. He was born April 3, 1940 in Brockton and grew up in Quincy. He attended Boston University, Curry College and later earned his Doctorate from Boston College. Through Jerry’s college career, he spent 20 summers working on the water in Lake George, N.Y. — a place that would remain important for the duration of his life. There he met and married Karen Isaly in 1964.

Jerry joined the faculty at Bridgewater State University in 1968. He was promoted to professor of elementary education in 2000 and became faculty marshall in 2003. He was proud of these accomplishments but more so of his students’ success and his involvement in several university initiatives including its outdoor education and cooperative learning programs. Yet, it was the student-teaching program with the Marino Institute of Education/Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland that he was most proud.

In addition to his teaching career, Gerald held many extra-curricular positions including Marion Harbor Master, safety and compliance consultant to several New England businesses, and fireworks inspector – including a decade of Marion fireworks held at Silvershell Beach. He was thrilled to serve as a panel moderator at a recent Baseball Hall of Fame conference.

Jerry and his family moved to Marion in 1976 where he remained until his death. He is pre-deceased by his wife Karen.  He is survived by his three children and 10 grandchildren; son John and wife Jennifer Thornell of Stonington, Conn., daughter Kellie and husband Dan Crete of Marion and son Christopher and wife Stephanie Thornell of Wareham.

Services will be held at St. Rita’s Church in Marion on Oct. 25 at 4 p.m., followed by a reception at the family’s home on 105 Front St. in Marion.

Gerald’s family has asked that donations in his memory be directed to the BSU Foundation, P.O. Box 42, Bridgewater, MA 02324-0042, in support of the newly established Professor Gerald Thornell Scholarship that will be awarded to students participating in the Marino Institute of Education program that he helped establish. For more information, please call 508-531-2725.