Gerald H. Haddock, age 94, a resident of Carol Stream, IL, died April 1, 2023, at Johnson Health Care Center in Carol Stream, Illinois.

Gerald was born in 1929 to Hugh and Orpha (Vaughan) Haddock, two schoolteachers living in the Ozarks of southwestern Missouri. The Okie movement of the Great Depression took them to southern Oregon, where Gerald grew up in the forests and mountains around Klamath Falls. After high school, Gerald enlisted in the Navy, where he served for four years as an electrician's mate on CVE-116 Badoeng Strait in the Pacific fleet, spending most of the time around Japan, the South China Sea, and Korea.

Gerald then enrolled at Wheaton College, thinking that perhaps God was calling him into the ministry. Instead, he found his calling to study and teach geology. After going on for a master's degree at Washington State University, he returned to teach geology at Wheaton, also earning his PhD from the University of Oregon. Gerald deeply enjoyed both the geological and the pedagogical aspects of his work. He loved his summers at the College's Science Station in the Black Hills of South Dakota. He delighted in the "youthful exuberance" of his students. Seeing their growth and work in college and beyond was profoundly rewarding to Gerald.

In Wheaton, Gerald met Faith Winsor, whom he married in 1960. Wheaton remained their home as they raised their three children, Mary, Ralph, and Fran. Gerald and Faith were active members of College Church, where Gerald served for several years as Financial Secretary. He enjoyed gardening and joined an adult swim team at the local YMCA. He also volunteered his time and energy in various inconspicuous ways such as lending his pickup truck (and himself) to help move refugee families to new homes, and doing maintenance on a house owned by the Africa Inland Mission.

Retirement in 1991 freed Gerald to pursue other interests, including genealogical research in southwestern Missouri, where he was born. He also enjoyed traveling back to Oregon, where he joined his brothers and other family members on annual deer and elk hunts. In 2010, Gerald and Faith moved from Wheaton to Windsor Park in Carol Stream.

Gerald was preceded in death by his parents, Hugh and Orpha Haddock, and his brother Harold Haddock. Survivors include his beloved wife, Faith, and children Mary Haddock, Ralph (Anita) Haddock, and Fran (Jonathan) Titcomb, as well as grandsons Michael (Lucy) Haddock, David (Sapphire) Haddock, James Haddock, and Daniel Titcomb, great-grandchildren Elijah and Sophia Haddock, and brothers Glen (Verla) Haddock and David (Nell) Haddock and sister-in-law Ara Haddock.

A visitation will be held Thursday, April 13, 2023 from 4:00p.m. - 8:00p.m. at Hultgren Funeral Home, Wheaton, 304 N. Main St., Wheaton, IL 60187. A memorial service will be held Friday, April 14, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at College Church, 332 E. Seminary Ave., Wheaton, IL 60187. A livestream of the service will be available through this link: Memorial Service for Gerald Haddock .

Memorial gifts may be directed to Windsor Park Benevolence Fund.

Family and friends may sign a guest book at hultgrenfh.com. For more information, please call Hultgren Funeral Home at 630-668-0027.