Gerald Joseph Bojczuk

ALBANY - Gerry Bojczuk, 60, passed away on Friday, May 2, 2014 at home after a long and courageous fight with cancer.

Son of the late John Joseph Bojczuk and Kathleen (Hurley) Bojczuk, he is survived by his sister Nancy (Mark) McMullen, uncle to Mark (Amy), Ryan, Jill and Nora McMullen, great-uncle to Jade and Jack; cousins John (Gail), James, Mary (Frederick) and Robert (MeiMei) Phelan and Michael (Anni) Scanlan, Joseph Scanlan and Eileen (Thomas) Mulvihill; his aunts Stella Bojczuk Wilkins, Mary Bojczuk and Pauline Bojczuk and numerous cousins from the Finger Lakes region, also survive him.

Gerry led a full, adventurous and interesting life. He graduated as a junior, at the age of 17, from Columbia High School in East Greenbush and began his pursuit of art, fashion design and cooking. He attended the Art Institute of San Francisco where he studied sculpture. A long time resident of New York City, he worked as personal chef to John Lennon and Yoko Ono. He demonstrated cooking techniques and knife usage at Macy's. He owned a fashion design company, New York Studio, where he designed custom clothes for several early music video musicians, among them, Billy Idol and Clarence Clemons. He produced swimsuits that were featured in Sports Illustrated magazine and created cloth prototypes for sculptured toys. He continued his career as a factory manager for high-end sportswear in the Bahamas and as a quality control manager in sewing factories in India, the Dominican Republic and Chinatown in NYC.

After moving back to Albany, Jerry was pursuing a bachelor's degree at Empire State College. He will be much missed by his close circle of family and friends who loved and supported him. They will remember him as a unique individual who was passionate about continuing his lifelong pursuit of learning. The family would also like to thank the practice of Dr. Douglas Fish for their compassionate care.

Funeral services will be held at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 900 Madison Avenue, Albany, on Monday, May 5, 2014. Relatives and friends are invited to call from 10:00 to 11:00 am at the church. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 am. A gathering of family and friends will follow the mass in the church hall. Interment will be in Our Lady Help of Christians Cemetery in Glenmont.