Gerald Joseph Romaine

Gerald Joseph Romaine, son of the late Anthony & Madeline Romaine, passed away peacefully on
Saturday, January 9, 2020, in Mt. Pleasant SC, surrounded by his loving family.

Born in Teaneck NJ on March 13, 1929, Gerald grew up in the neighboring town of Bogota, NJ and was predeceased by his loving wife of 67 years, Dolores and 3 brothers and 2 sisters.

Growing up, Gerald was very athletic, winning 3 high school all-state honors in football, his favorite sport. He graduated from Montclair State University and served in the army during the Korean War as a Special Agent in the Counter Intelligence Corps. After his military service, he married Dolores, the love of his life in 1953, and they began raising a family in Hackensack, NJ in 1955, with the birth of his first daughter, Susan. Not long after the birth of their second daughter Margaret, and youngest child Gerald Jr., Gerald and Dolores moved their family to Brick, NJ where they lived for the next 18 years.

While raising his family in NJ, Gerald worked for many years at Mutual Benefit Life as a group pension underwriter and consultant. Later, he owned and operated several small businesses: a Maaco Collision Repair and Auto Painting company in northern NJ, a package store & bar in Toms River, NJ, and a gas station in Pt. Pleasant, NJ. After their son Gerald Jr. went to college in the 80's, Gerald and Dolores moved first to Woodbridge VA briefly, where Gerald operated his 2nd gas station in Oxen Hill MD, before finally retiring and moving to Sun City West, AZ. In 2002, Gerald and Dolores moved to Murrells Inlet, SC to be closer to their grandchildren and where they lived happily together for the remainder of their lives.

Gerald is survived by his 3 children Susan and husband Greg, Margaret and husband Kent, and Gerald Jr. and wife Brenna; and his grandchildren Katelyn and her husband John David, and Matthew and various nephews and nieces.

Gerald's primary concern in life was the care of his beloved wife Dolores and their children. He was an extremely dedicated father and an enthusiastically active person who always enjoyed outdoor activities- mainly golf, bowling, doing yardwork and puttering around in the garage, fixing things and working on the car. Sadly, in the later years of his life he was prevented from enjoying these passionate interests due to being afflicted with Multiple Myeloma. Despite his illness though, he defiantly refused to give in to his suffering and continued to be the undeniable head of our family. Gerald will always be remembered as a loving and devoted husband and father.

There will be a memorial mass at St. Michael Catholic Church, 542 Cypress Ave, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576 on Wednesday, January 27th at 10 AM. All attendees will be required to wear a mask and maintain proper social distance.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make a donation in Gerald's name to either the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.

Expressions of sympathy may be viewed or submitted online at https://www.mcalister-smith.com.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to McALISTER-SMITH FUNERAL & CREMATION, Mt. Pleasant, 1520 Rifle Range Rd., Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464, (843) 884-3833.