Jeremy Gallagher Van Fredenberg
December 23, 1973 - March 5, 2025
Obituary
It is with deep sadness that we share the loss of Jeremy (Jerry) Gallagher Van Fredenberg, beloved son, brother, husband, and father. A long-time resident of Normandy Park, Jerry passed away at Harborview Medical Center on March 5th, after suffering a sudden stroke at the age of 51.
Jerry was the middle child of three sons born to James and Janice Van Fredenberg on Dec. 23rd, 1973. He was a talented athlete throughout his life, competing with his brothers, playing on a variety of teams (often coached by their dad) and excelling at baseball, running, skiing and cycling. He attended Kennedy High School, Central Washington University and graduated from University of Puget Sound.
As an adult, Jerry continued to push himself physically, always up for an adventure, especially as a group with friends and family. Jerry ran marathons with his brother, Jeff, completed an Iron Man Triathlon, summited Mount Rainier and rode thousands of miles on his bicycle across the U.S., Canada and Europe, climbing many mountain passes for the view.
He had an extensive and varied career, with positions at Washington Mutual, AT&T, Sound Credit Union and Stewart Lumber, where he was known for his hard work, being a great team player and solving interesting problems.
Jerry married Jennifer (Jen) Dobler and they had two beautiful, brilliant children – Victoria (Tori) and Drew. As a father, he showed his love and dedication by helping to coach every team they were on, taking great pride in how they continued to improve their skills and achieved wins – big and small – with their teams.
Everyone who knew Jerry will remember him as outgoing and welcoming. Life was intended to be shared in Jerry’s eyes and he loved to gather and be around friends and family, often hosting at their home and in the backyard. He was also a passionate life-long Seahawks fan and season ticket holder, loving the entire experience of sharing games with friends & family and even witnessing the Seahawks’ first Super Bowl win in person.
We will remember Jerry as a great dad and a good guy who died too soon. Jerry leaves behind a large close-knit family and an entire community who will miss him dearly. He and family belong to St. Francis of Assisi Parish where their children attend school.
Jerry’s final act was to give life to others as an organ donor, in accordance with his wishes. He is survived by his wife, Jen, his children Tori (11 and son Drew (8), his mother, Jan, and his brothers, John and Jeff, their wives Kathy and Jessica, and a large extended family of uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his father James (Jim) and grandparents.
A service and celebration of life is scheduled April 12th, 10am at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Burien, WA.