Jerry Reidy Obituary

Gerald Joseph Reidy (Jerry), 89, of Aurora, Colorado, passed away at his home on March 9th, 2026. He was a cherished father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend; the world is a little dimmer without his presence.

Jerry was born April 5th, 1936, in Chicago, Illinois to Florence and Daniel Reidy, and was one of six siblings. He grew up in Downers Grove, Illinois and graduated from Downers Grove North High School in 1954. After graduating high school, Jerry served in the United States Army (1954-1956). Once he had completed his tour of duty, Jerry returned to Chicago and met his wife, Sonja, while both were working for the Burlington Railroad. Jerry and Sonja married July 26, 1958, and moved to Downers Grove.

Jerry and Sonja soon started their family and had four children- Kristi, Kelly, Kevin, and John. As the family resided in the Chicago suburbs, Jerry began his work as a metal refinisher. As a skilled craftsman, he quickly became one of the very best refinishers, and started his own company, reidy metal services inc, in 1979. Jerry was commuting across the midwest to grow the business and saw Denver as a new opportunity for the family and the business- in July 1983, the family moved to Denver and never looked back.

Reidy metal services, inc began to flourish in Denver due to Jerry’s tenacity, charm, and exceptional work- while Sonja ran everything behind the scenes. Jerry not only did the work, but he spent the time educating his customers on the importance of metal refinishing and creating lasting relationships that still live on today. In 2010, Jerry sold the business to his daughter, Kelly. Jerry was proud to have three generations of Reidys running the family business.

In 2008, he was diagnosed with blood cancer (MDS) and was only given a few years to live. With the help of his brother, Dan, Jerry joined a clinical trial at MD Anderson in Houston. The clinical trial saved Jerry’s life, and he continued to live and thrive with the disease for eighteen years. Jerry’s success in the clinical trial allowed the drug to be brought to market and help other cancer patients. He was the only living survivor of the clinical trial.

Jerry showed up for people in every way imaginable. Whether it was donating his time, helping financially, or just simply showing up- you could always count on Jerry to be there. He was sarcastic and quick witted and would mock the people he loved mercilessly. He was a phenomenal role model in life and business and pushed everyone to be their very best. His pockets were always filled with some sort of candy, and he always had a bottle of Coke-A-Cola close by. Jerry was an exceptional athlete and was always pushing himself at the gym or on the softball fields. He played senior softball for over two decades with Scrap Iron; he begrudgingly hung up in his cleats in 2022. After his athletic retirement, he turned to oil painting, and he was participating in weekly classes.

He leaves behind his four children- Kristi, Kelly (Jerry), Kevin (Peggy), and John (Becca). His seven grandchildren- Brianna, Kate, Brad, Aidan, Henry, Maeve, and Gavin- and one great-grandson, Rowan. He also leaves behind his two sisters, Joan and Sheila (Shelia). His four-legged friend, Emmett, will miss him dearly. Jerry is reunited with his wife, Sonja, son-in-law, Don, and his three brothers (Dan, Bob, and Michael).

Please consider donating to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Jerry’s name.

A private celebration of life will be held on June 27th, 2026.