Gerald Joseph Horak

Gerald Joseph Horak

Asheville, NC

Gerald Joseph “Jerry” Horak, age 83, of Candler, NC, passed away peacefully on March 3, 2024, from complications of Parkinson’s Disease.

He was born on March 30, 1940, in Washington, Iowa, the son of Paul Richard and Alida Horak. A biologist and ornithologist, he spent his career studying prairie chickens and other threatened and endangered species in the Flint Hills of Kansas before moving to the Asheville area in 2022 to be close to family.

He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Ellen (Abby) Horak of Candler; son Michael (Lisa Weinerman Horak) of Asheville and son Joseph (Leslie Geisenberg Horak) of Santa Rosa, CA, as well as four beloved grandchildren—Molly, Isabel, Quinn and Andrew. He is also survived by two brothers, Rick Horak and Tom Horak, both of Washington, IA, and preceded in death by one brother, Tim.