Gerald Schwalb, Jr.

Gerald Peter Schwalb Jr. (Jay) passed away in a boating accident on Saturday, July 30, 2016. He was born in Laredo, Texas on November 9, 1959.

Jay's father was in the military, so as a child he lived in many places: Arkansas, Puerto Rico, Ohio, Florida, California, Montana, Georgia, Texas and Louisiana.

He moved to Houston in 1990 to start a prosperous career in the Offshore Oil and Gas field. In his career, Jay traveled all over the world, and he never met a stranger he did not like. He kept up with most of the people he worked with and would tell stories of running into them at different stops around the world at different times.

Jay loved many things including NASCAR-most importantly Dale Earnhardt Jr. Many Sunday's while watching "the race" with his son's Jacob and Noah, all that could be heard in the house was his booming voice yelling, "Go Junior Go".

Jay loved The Boy Scouts of America, proudly helping his son Jacob achieve the Life rank while his other sons Noah and Matt achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. His favorite trips were canoeing with the Scouts. He helped Noah plant countless trees for his Eagle Project. When the scouts on Matt's Eagle Project ran out of steam, Jay went in and rallied the troops to paint that one last closet in the Bethany United Methodist Church kitchen.

Jay also loved to ride his tractor, and mowing his 10-acre lot in Brazoria which he called affectionately "The Ranch". He spent countless hours in the backwoods cutting trails so that we could ride our Bulldog and our neighbors could ride their Gator. He also used his tractor at his second property he called "The River", clearing out the brush so that we could get a better view of the San Bernard River from the back porch.

Jay loved his boat. He love to take kids tubing, wake boarding and knee boarding. He loved driving to the mouth of the San Bernard River and to the Intracoastal Waterway and the Matagorda State Park. He loved to go to his favorite river restaurants as well, Dido's Seafood and The High Five.

In his spare time, Jay made biodiesel fuel out of waste vegetable oil. He loved working in the garage on this project. He loved discussing the mixing process with his group of biodiesel buddies. He helped restaurants and grocery stores dispose of their waste veggie oil cost-free while improving the environment. He fondly referred to his � ton truck as "tator tot" as the exhaust fumes smelled like french fries.

Jay loved to cook. He was from a Cajun background and everyone enjoyed his crawfish boils. He also enjoyed smoking brisket and ribs. When the neighbors heard that "Jay was cooking tonight," they may a bee line to our River House to have some of Jay's famous cuisine.
He also loved to dance, and was known to request Wilson Pickett's hit "Mustang Sally". He would run up to the front of the restaurant to lead all the patrons in the chorus of "Ride Sally Ride."

Jay was a member of the Knights of Columbus (3rd degree) and a member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Houston.

Jay is survived by his wife Robin, his sons Jacob and Noah, Noah's wife Laura and their children Cody and Kiera of Houston, and his stepson Matthew Kellogg of College Station. He is also survived by his father, Jerry Schwalb, of Abilene; Christopher "Chris" Paul Schwalb, his wife, Jerrilyn, and son, Tyler, of McKinney, Texas; Kevin David Schwalb, his wife, Janet, and children, Nicholas, Catherine, Jack and Clare, of Alexandria, Va.; Steven George Schwalb, his wife, Kelsy, and sons, Graham and Carter, of Atlanta.

Survivors also include his aunts: Helen Margaret Ham White, of Pineville, and Mary Elizabeth Ham Snyder and her husband Gene, of Wellington, Ala.; cousins: Dean White, his wife, Sonya and their children Joshua and Jacob; Dennis White, his wife Jaylynn and their children Elezabeth and Caroline; Dana Blount, her husband Greg, their children Cole and Clay; Dinise McLaurine, and her husband Mark; Uncle Jake Schwalb and cousins Stacey Osborne husband Dave and son's Connor and Justin and Cindy Schwalb.

A funeral mass will be held in remembrance of Jay on Saturday, August 20, at 11:00 AM at St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church, 6800 Buffalo Speedway, Houston, TX 77025.
A reception will follow immediately after the mass. In lieu of flowers please send donations to The Boy Scouts of America.

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