Jerry Wayne Scarfo passed away on May 12, 2023 after a very short battle with a beast called cancer.
Jerry was born on February 16, 1969 to Dororthy Scarfo and Ken Frizzell in Antioch, CA. Despite not growing up in the Bay Area, we are blaming his birthplace for his unabashed love of punk music. Jerry went on to live in Everett, Washington, as well as Ripon, Tracy, and Manteca, California. His children were his priority, and he willingly worked many jobs, including the Manteca Bulletin newspaper and the Everett Herald, to selflessly give them the best opportunities he was able to provide.
Jerry started his career at Costco in the Livermore store in 2003, eventually transferring to the Manteca Costco in 2008. Upon learning he was terminal, he lamented, “Well, cr*p, I’m never going to get my 25 year silver badge, am I?” Many at work felt blessed to be his friend. His colleagues describe him as a listener and an open ear for anyone who needed it. He always gave his all, even on a bad day, and will be remembered for his willingness to help out and his dark sense of humor.
Jerry’s obsession with music resulted in him leaving behind an enormous collection of compact discs, cassettes, and vinyl albums, a turntable, and a pile of lyrics scrolled hastily in notebooks and on the back of envelopes. His favorite lyric was from a band called Hickey; “Life is cheap, but living is expensive.”
He is survived by a son, Geoffrey Scarfo of Tacoma, Washington, and a daughter, Jenna Scarfo of Manteca. He is also survived by his mother, Dorothy, his father, Ken, his sister, Janet Sprong, his daughter-in-law Sarah Scarfo, and his stepchildren Mikey and Marshall Bradford. He will also be missed by close friends Shondra Tipton and Rochelle Berry.
Never one for tradition, Jerry has chosen to become a forever part of the forest with the help of Better Place Forests in Yosemite Gateway, California, where he will be interred in a private ceremony. He apologizes for not stickin’ around longer.
Services will be held at Tracy Memorial Chapel, 5 W Highland Ave, Tracy, California at 10:30 a.m. on June 15. Jerry’s giant collection of band t-shirts and jeans was one of his treasures in life and we’d love it if you honored him by showing up dressed in something similar. His favorite colors were pink and black, so any outfit with those colors would work as well. He’d be horrified if you showed up in a suit. The reception will take place immediately following at Jorge’s El Tapatio restaurant, 572 W 11th St, Tracy to enjoy his favorite El Tap meal of tacos, beans and rice.
In lieu of flowers, Jerry requested that any donations in his name be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital online using the following address: Jerry Scarfo, 21 Ramona Way, Tracy, CA 95376.
His final wish in life was that his friends, family, and colleagues get their cancer screenings when they are due.
Services are to be held on Thursday, June 15th, 2023, 10:30a.m. at Tracy Memorial Chapel, 5 West Highland Ave, Tracy, California. A livestream webcast of services can be viewed by visiting their tribute page at www.tracymemorialchapel.com
Manteca (Calif.) Bulletin
Friday, June 9, 2023
