Mr. Gerald Eugene Speck, age 87 of Ellijay, passed away on Thursday, July 6th, 2023 at Piedmont Mountainside Hospital in Ellijay.

Mr. Speck was born on January 14th, 1936 in Leesburg Lake, FL to the late Claude Lee Speck and Clydie D. Bilbrey Speck. He served as a Captain in the United States Army and was a helicopter pilot. Mr. Speck served five years in Berlin, Germany while in the Army. He was a chemical engineer and graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Mr. Speck was a member of the Rotary-Lions Club, Gilmer County Genealogical Society where he served as the Membership Chair, and a member of the First Baptist Church in Ellijay. He was also an avid reader. Mr. Speck could be described as a great man who loved his community. He is preceded in death by his parents.

Survivors include his partner of seven years, Judy Coker; two sons, Darrell Speck (Tong) of Atlanta and Jason Allen Coker (Taylor) of Ashland, KY; two daughters, Cynthia Speck Shults of Elizabethtown, KY and Kristi Michelle Hollar (Rick) of Wilmington, NC; brother, William Ray Speck; sister, Jacquelin Speck Atwood; 11 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren also survives.

A graveside service will be held on Monday, July 17th at 11:00 AM in the Georgia National Cemetery. For anyone planning to attend the service, the procession will leave the funeral home at 9:30 AM.

Bernhardt Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.