Gerald Albert Mauri

Gerald Albert Mauri, a resident of West Laurel, Maryland died peacefully at Stella Maris Inpatient Hospice on Saturday, December 14th, 2013 following a courageous battle against cancer.

Jerry, as his friends and family knew him, was born January 10, 1942 in Buffalo, NY. He is survived by his wife D. Elaine Mauri, daughter Guilia Elisa Murray of North Carolina and many beloved cousins from the Buffalo area.

He embraced life and learning and had a passion for opera, art, literature, language, travelling and food.

His thirst for knowledge and spiritual understanding was unquenchable, and drove him to pursue his passions tirelessly across two continents. As an accomplished professional chef (and chef emeritus of the Old Ebbit Grill in Washington, among other venues), he demanded excellence in every dining experience and could effortlessly toss together a gourmet meal with friends and family effortlessly. He embraced his Italian heritage with gusto immersed himself not only in cuisine, but language and opera, living for many years in his ancestral country. Never satisfied with leaning only in his own language, he continuously studied, formally and informally to broaden his understanding, most recently developing a fluency in Portuguese. However, of all his many cultural interests, the fine arts probably topped the list. He deeply understood art history in all its nuances and was conversant regarding a vast number of painters and their works, having personally experienced those works in collection across the United States and Europe. Ever a wandering spirit, his struggles with his own mortality brought him to a depth of spiritual understanding that few achieve. His embrace of life, even as it was fading from his grasp, was not only an inspiration to his wife and daughter and all his many close friends, but provided a glimpse of a great soul, at peace with God and his fellows..

His greatest joy was when he and Elaine were married and he inherited an extended family which included his mother-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews and great nephews and Julia and Irene who were known as his "Spanish daughters." Marty Cartman Valentine his beloved bichon was always at his "papa's side.

A celebration of life will be held at a later time. To assist others in their final stages of life please donate to Stella Maris Hospice of Timonium, Maryland.