In Memoriam

We regret to announce the passing of Dr. Joseph A. Gerardi. Dr. Gerardi passed away on Tuesday, March 12, after a long struggle with cancer. He was a POSNA member for 30 years and participated on several committees, including the Health Care Delivery Council, Practice Management Committee, and Trauma, Prevention, and Disaster Response Committee. 

Dr. Gerardi attended the University of Colorado at Boulder before entering Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, where he received his Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine. Following his graduation from medical school, Dr. Gerardi served as a physician and officer in the United States Navy from 1982 to 1990. He completed an internship in the Department of Surgery and a residency in the Department of Orthopedics at the U.S. Naval Hospital in San Diego, CA, after which time he served in the Department of Orthopedics at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Guam. Following his honorable discharge from the Navy in 1990, Dr. Gerardi completed a fellowship in pediatric orthopedic and scoliosis surgery at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Crippled Children, Dallas, TX.

The Gerardi family moved to the San Joaquin Valley in August of 1991 when Dr. Gerardi began his work as a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Valley Children's Hospital. He retired in 2023 after more than 31 years of care for thousands of children. 

Dr. Gerardi is survived by his wife of 43 years, Sharon Nemechek Gerardi, children Michael (wife Megan), John (wife Holly), Christine, and Joseph Gerardi, eight grandchildren, and three siblings. 
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Dr. Gerardi's memory to Valley Children's Hospital, Right to Life of Central California, and the Obria Medical Clinics of Central California. A funeral mass will be held Tuesday, March 26, at 10:30 am, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 929 Harvard Ave., Clovis, CA.

This notice appeared in Dignity Memorial and has been edited. View the full announcement here.