On Aug. 12, Gerard J. Baldacchino, Jr. (Jerry to his family and friends), 35, lost his 20 1/2-month battle with cancer at his Bristol home.
The son of Gerard J. and Sheila (McKnight) Baldacchino, Sr., he was born Oct. 12, 1971, in Quincy, Mass.
Although his life was comparatively short, it was fuller than most. He worked as a C.N.A., a fiberglass boat builder and a tree planter, as well as several other smaller jobs before returning to what he loved: caring for patients in the spinal column injury unit at West Roxbury, Mass. V.A. Hospital. It was a job that fulfilled his desire to help people and won him recognition. 11 months after his diagnosis, Jerry was presented with the New England Paralyzed Veterans Administration Pierik Award for outstanding service.
All of this does not even begin to tell about who he was. Jerry was an artist that could not only draw nearly anything, real or imagined, but he used a variety of materials to create sculptures, with his larger ones made of fiberglass. His love for art was so strong, that during his fight with cancer, his right hand and arm became paralyzed and he taught himself to draw with his left hand.
During his illness, Jerry took up scrapbooking and found deep satisfaction in jewelry making, at which he labored with one hand. He loved creating so much that many who knew him now have a small piece of his love to wear whenever they choose. He was also a writer, writing several short stories and many poems. He loved to cook, redecorate, play Scrabble, tell jokes, spend time with his family and friends and purchase, or make gifts for those he loved. He will be truly missed.
Jerry is survived by his maternal grandmother, Evelyn “Nancy” McKnight of Pemaquid; parents, Gerard Sr. and Sheila Baldacchino of Bristol; sisters, Dawn Greenleaf of Damariscotta, Kimberly Ezzell of Wiscasset, Faith Crawford of Round Pond, and April Gagnon of Bristol; six nephews and four nieces, whom he referred to as his kids.
Time of visitation 4-7 p.m., Sat., Aug. 18 at Strong Funeral Home, 612 Main St., Damariscotta.
