Gerald Francis Mahfood

Gerald Francis Mahfood, better known as Jerry, passed away on February 15th, 2025 at the age of 66. Born in Kingston, Jamaica on March 10th, 1958 his parents were Ferdinand Mahfood and Patricia Mahfood. Ferdinand was a successful businessman and later the philanthropist founder of Food For The Poor, and Patricia his mother who supported him in all his endeavors.

After spending much of his childhood in Jamaica along with his siblings Marianne and Margaret, the family relocated to Florida in 1972. While attending Cardinal Gibbons high school he earned a fearsome reputation on the football field along with the nickname "Mad Dog Mahfood" and continued playing football while attending St. Leo’s College in Florida.

Jerry served in the US Navy as a flight deck crewman aboard the USS Saratoga from 1978 to 1981. He credited his time in the military with making him the man he was.

After his military service and graduating from university, Jerry held a position at Essex Exports in Pompano Beach, FL and enjoyed being a scuba instructor in his spare time. Jerry also enjoyed his hobby of roller skating and met his future wife Kathleen McCarthy at a skating rink in Boca Raton in 1981. The couple dated for years and eventually married in February of 1986.

After the birth of their first two children, Gerald in 1990 and Andrew in 1991 the family relocated to Jerry's childhood home of Kingston, Jamaica in January of 1993 to take on a leadership position as General Manager of the Fisheries Division at Wisynco Trading, working under their then Chairman Sam Mahfood. They welcomed their youngest son Timothy in 1996.

In 1998, the Fisheries Division was closed due to restrictions being placed on the harvesting of conch. Jerry moved into a new position as head of operations for Wisynco's Route Distribution section. In 2007 Wisynco completed its new distribution hub at Lakes Pen (the Sam Mahfood Distribution Center) and Jerry became the head of Operations for the Wisynco group until his retirement in 2018. He was instrumental in seeing the group through one of its most challenging periods after the fire in May of 2016 and ensuring the company was able to relocate back to their facility at Lakes Pen in 2017. He also served on the board of directors for Food For The Poor Jamaica, to aid in carrying on his father's legacy.

Outside of work Jerry lived a full and active life. He loved nothing more than to spend time with family and friends, whether at home or on the beach. A passionate fisherman, he competed in and won numerous tournaments and earned a reputation for his skills as a captain and angler. He always loved the ocean, whether fishing, diving or spending time on the beach. He was also a self-described 'foodie' and loved to eat and cook all kinds of cuisine, especially seafood.

Jerry was a devoted husband and treasured his relationship with his three sons. He worked tirelessly to provide every advantage and comfort he could for his family. After his retirement, Jerry & Kathy relocated to Florida once again to join their children. When Kathy was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease in 2019, Jerry became her primary caregiver and dedicated his remaining years to taking care of Kathleen. He loved her faithfully and completely for 39 years.

Jerry is survived by his wife Kathleen, his sons Gerald, Andrew and Timothy as well as his mother Patricia and siblings Marianne Bariberi (Anthony) and Margaret Anton (Micheal).

A visitation will be held from 4PM to 7PM on Thursday, February 27th at Glick Family Funeral Home in Boca Raton. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11AM on Friday, February 28th at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Boca Raton.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to either the Cure Alzheimer's Fund http://curealz.org or Food For The Poor http://foodforthepoor.org

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