Gerald J. âJerryâ Cortese was called home by our Heavenly Father at his home in Kendrick on Tuesday morning, June 22, 2021. He was 59 years young.
Jerry was born Dec. 30, 1961, in Bristol, Pa., to Joseph and Donna (Heilman) Cortese. He started school in Levittown, Pa. The family moved to California in 1978 where he attended and graduated high school in Danville, Calif.
Jerry attended Diablo Valley College for a time prior to enlisting in the U.S. Army. Following his discharge, he worked for a short time training developmentally disabled adults. Jerry began a career at the California Department of Corrections in 1987, first as a correctional officer and ending in 2012 as a parole agent II.