Gregory Alan Gerdes was born March 14, 1961, to Dennis "Duck" and Darlene (Sillman) Gerdes, in Britt, Iowa.

Greg was a 1979 graduate of Woden Crystal Lake High School. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering at Iowa State University. He also attained his Professional Engineering designation.

On December 27, 1986, he married his best friend, Kathy Schimmelpfennig in Woden, Iowa.

In 1985, Greg accepted a job in the Chicago area with a roofing firm. Shortly after welcoming their son Nicholas, the family moved to Bloomington, Illinois, when Greg accepted a job with an architecture and engineering firm in 1993. They welcomed their daughter Jessica in 1995. After 20 years in the Illinois area the family decided to move back to Iowa to be closer to family. In 2005, Greg accepted a position at Pella Corporation as a Field Engineer in the customer service department. This job took him to sites all over the U.S.

Greg enjoyed sporting events of all kinds. He was a devoted Iowa State fan, White Sox fan, and Vikings fan. Greg was the ultimate handyman who could build or fix anything. If you didn't find him tinkering in the garage, you could find him brewing his famous homebrew beer in the basement. He also enjoyed relaxing vacations and fishing trips with friends and family.

Greg is survived by his wife Kathy, and their family:

Nicholas (Andrea) Gerdes

Jessica Gerdes (Jason Durnan)

Calla Durnan

He is also survived by his siblings: Debra (Michael) Schimmelpfennig of Woden, Iowa, Michael (Catherine) Gerdes of St. Charles, Iowa, and Valerie (Patrick) Gibbs of Garner, Iowa.

Greg was preceded in death by his parents Duck and Darlene Gerdes, father-in-law Daryl Schimmelpfennig, and niece Rachel Schimmelpfennig.

Greg was a faithful blood donor and became a donor through the Iowa Donor Network. He would be honored if you also consider the gift of donation.

Red Cross Blood Donation