Gerald Einwalter
Gerald “Jerry” Einwalter, 87, Fort Dodge, IA, died under hospice care on January 25, 2026 at Brookdale Memory Care in Union Hills, Peoria, AZ.
Memorial visitation will be held 9:00 a.m. Monday, February 16, 2026 with the service to follow at 11:00 a.m. at the Gunderson Funeral Home Chapel.
Gerald Marvin Einwalter, son of Lloyd and Doris (Behne) Einwalter, was born March 31, 1938, in Waterloo, Iowa. He graduated from West Waterloo High School in 1956 and continued his education at the University of Northern Iowa, where he earned a BA in Science and a Master’s degree in history. He served in the US Army from 1960 – 1962.
Jerry married Kieran George (Cunningham) in 1978. They made their home and raised two sons in Fort Dodge.
Jerry began his teaching career for the Fort Dodge Public Schools in 1970, teaching Biology at South Junior High. After that, he became the biology teacher at Fort Dodge Senior High. In 1985 he took on the role of Director of the Gordon Willard Center for Alternative Education until his retirement in 1998. In 1991, he was the President of the IAAE (Iowa Association of Alternative Education). He respected the professionals he worked with at the alternative ed. center. He was passionate about the benefits alternate education had to offer and the positive impact it had on the students that were enrolled.
He was part of a radio team with Denny Friedrichs that broadcast the Iowa State High School Championship Tournament to the Fort Dodge area. During this time, he was an assistant coach for the Fort Dodge Dodger wrestling team. They won the Iowa State Wrestling Championship in 1980 and 1985. His competitive and compassionate spirit was infectious and left a lasting impression on the coaches and wrestlers that knew him. He was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Hall of Fame in 2021.
He was a Red Cross volunteer and a member of the Sertoma Sundowners Club for 35 years. He loved the outdoors and was an avid fisherman, hunter and golfer. After retiring from Fort Dodge Public Schools, he mentored teaching students at Buena Vista College.
He is survived by his wife Kieran, his sons Kyle and Chad (Tracy), his grandsons Gannon and Colton, his siblings Lois (Jack) Bradford of OH and Dale (Chris) Einwalter of WA. He is preceded in death by his brother, Dean (Carol) Einwalter of MN.
Memorials may be left to the Iowa Association of Alternative Education (IAAE).