Gerald "Gerry" L. Tester, 73 of Springfield, MO passed away Friday, November 9, 2018.

He was born May 20, 1945 in Litchfield, IL to parents William and Helen (Rottinghaus) Tester. He married Barbara Traxler on June 15, 1969 in Forsyth, IL.  They enjoyed 49 years of marriage.

Gerry was a graduate of Raymond High School (IL) in 1963 and Southern Illinois University in 1966.

Beginning as a management trainee in 1966, Gerry worked for JCPenney for 40 years.  He retired in 2005 as the Springfield Store and Home Store manager. Throughout his career, he held several managerial positions across the country at the district, regional, and corporate levels.

In retirement, Gerry loved travel. He could strike up a conversation with anyone at an RV park and make a new friend. He enjoyed the outdoors including yardwork, fishing, and spending time at the beach.  Gerry was a member of the Springfield Better Business Bureau where he volunteered on the Board of Directors from 1998-2015.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara; daughter, Nicole; son-in-law, Jason Fromm; sister-in-law, Roberta (Traxler) Schlacter; and several cousins on all sides of the family.

Visitation will be Wednesday, November 14 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home.  Services will be held immediately following visitation at 12:00 pm. Graveside services will be at Friends Creek Cemetery in Argenta, IL on Friday, November 16 at 11:00 am.

Memorial donations may be made in Gerry's name to the Gastro-Intestinal Research Foundation, University of Chicago, 20 W. Kinzie Street, 17 ^th Floor, Chicago, IL 60654 or online at https://giresearchfoundation.org/donate/.