The campus community mourns the passing of Geraldine “Jerry” Wright Mattocks, who died on Friday, June 29. Geraldine worked in L&IT before retiring in 1994.
Included below is the complete text of the obituary, as provided by the family.
You are encouraged to visit our In Memoriam Site at bucknell.edu/InMemoriam and share personal notes of sympathy and remembrance with others.
On behalf of our entire University community, I extend our deepest sympathies to Geraldine’s family, as well as to all who knew her at Bucknell.
John C. Bravman
President
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This world became a somewhat darker place on June 29, 2018 with the passing of Geraldine Wright “Jerry” Mattocks, of Winfield and Chautauqua, N.Y., with her smile that could light up a room.
Jerry was born on March 18, 1927 to Donald E. and Madeline Bailey Wright in Jamestown, N.Y. She was raised and attended school in Celeron, New York, and graduated as an honor society member of Celeron High School Class of 1945. In 1949, she married Menzo Mattocks, who predeceased her in 1988 after 39 years of marriage.
In addition to her strong efforts for her home and family, Jerry, a hard worker for most of her life, was employed in Jamestown’s Bigelow’s Department Store, Jamestown Mutual Insurance Company, and most notably in Bucknell University’s Bertrand Library, from which she retired in 1994 after more than 20 years of service.
Jerry was very active and skilled at baking, sewing, ceramics, and knitting. The world is filled with the many Christmas stockings she knit for others, over the years. She also enjoyed reading, doing word search puzzles, traveling, and collecting dolls and teddy bears. She amassed an amazing collection of teddy bears of all sizes and styles.
But most importantly, Jerry was a physically, mentally, and emotionally strong person who was always looking for ways to contribute to her family, friends, and the world around her. Whenever there was something to be done, she was always one of the first to roll up her sleeves and dig in. She considered no job worth doing to be beneath her. And she did all of this with a smile and song.
But in addition to her industry, those who would listen, or learned to listen, discovered that she possessed amazing wisdom and problem solving skills, abilities that would dwarf those of many of the rich, powerful, or otherwise influential in our world today.
We need more people like she was.
Jerry is survived by a now heartbroken son, Timothy Mattocks, with whom she lived, laughed, and traveled; a son, Michael (Sandra) Mattocks of New Berlin; a daughter, Mary (Michael) Godfrey of Export, Pa.; grandchildren Ryan (Colleen) Mattocks, Kara (Rodney) Larson, Deirdre (Steven) Bertotti, and Sean Godfrey; great-grandchildren Audrey Mattocks and Vincenzo Bertotti (and Evelynn Marie Larson on the way); a brother, Richard (Susan) Wright of Jamestown, N.Y.; a sister Donna (late Charles) Nelson of Lakewood, N.Y.; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
In addition to her parents and husband, she was pre-deceased by an infant sister.
Friends will be received from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Freay Funeral Home, 139 S. Erie Street, Mayville, N.Y. On Saturday at 11 a.m., a funeral service will be held at the Bemus Point United Methodist Church, 4954 Bemus-Ellery Road, Bemus Point, N.Y., 14712, followed by a graveside interment service at the Bemus Point Cemetery. Pastors Bill and Kristen Allen will officiate. A luncheon will follow at the church.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Beaver Memorial United Methodist Church, 42 S 3rd St., Lewisburg, Pa, 17837.
Visit www.freayfuneralhome.com for more information.