Geraldine Cerniglia

Geraldine “Jerry” Cerniglia, 88, of Atlanta passed away on July 10, 2020. She is survived by her daughter Donna Cerniglia and son Sam Cerniglia, Jr. of Atlanta, and daughter Kelly Weldon of Englewood, Florida.

Jerry was the only child of Louis Vickers and Armeria Cole Vickers of Nashville, Tennessee. After graduating from Isaac Litton High School, she met her husband of nearly 60 years, Sam Cerniglia, who was stationed in Nashville while serving in the U.S. Army. The newlyweds moved to Birmingham, Alabama, Sam’s hometown, where Jerry’s three children were born. In 1968, the family moved to Atlanta and Jerry became employed at Rich’s department store, and subsequently at Sears in accounting and billing. She and her husband travelled to Hawaii, Portugal, and Croatia as well as various destinations in the southeastern United States. Jerry enjoyed gardening and had a great appreciation of nature. She loved all creatures, especially her grand-dogs and grand-cats.

Jerry was strong in her faith and was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Atlanta. She attended “The Faith Sunday School Class,” part of the Meridian Adult Ministry, and the “Faithfully Fit” exercise group. She participated in various projects for children and military service members. She enjoyed taking day trips with her fellow church members and collected the photography of Dr. Charles Stanley. Jerry’s kind and gentle ways and her sweet, loving nature will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

Jerry’s family would like to thank Dr. Ramsey E. Jackson and the dedicated staff of The Fountainview Center for Alzheimer’s Disease for their tireless care and support. A graveside service celebrating Jerry’s life will be held at the Decatur Cemetery, 299 Bell Street, Decatur, Georgia, 30030, on July 17, 2020 at 10:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in memory of Jerry to the Alzheimer’s Association, Samaritan’s Purse, and the Doris Day Animal League