Gerry D'Elia

Francis Gerard D’Elia (“Gerry”) died on February 15, 2024 at his beloved home in Park City, Utah. He was 73 years old. Born to Vivian Florence Harris and Francis Lee D’Elia on October 19, 1950, Gerry was the eldest of three children. He was born in Jersey City, New Jersey and grew up in Monroe, New York. As a youngster, he enjoyed assembling model airplanes and he played in the school band. Gerry excelled at sports in high school. He played soccer, golf, and competed in wrestling. After high school he worked “the steel” in New York, helping construct electrical towers in the Hudson Valley. In his early twenties he traveled West via motorcycle to fulfill his passion of skiing and landed in the Salt Lake City area.

While skiing and backpacking around the Rockies, Gerry also obtained a Bachelor Degree in mathematics from the University of Utah in 1978 and in 1981 received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Utah School of Law. From 1981 to 1987 Gerry was a prosecutor and assistant county attorney at the Salt Lake County Attorney General’s Office in Salt Lake City. He became an arson expert and worked on the Mark Hoffman forgery and bombings in the 1980s (often referred to as the “Mormon murders”) and gained notoriety as the cynical, street-smart, hard charging young blood who loved a challenge and wouldn’t back down. In 1988 Gerry opened a private practice with his friend and law partner, John Lehmer, called D’Elia and Lehmer, which later became known as D’Elia & Associates or Park City Law Dawgs. His practice mostly focused on Criminal Defense and Personal Injury. He was known as an insightful, tactful, and personable lawyer with a keen sense of judgment. His studies in Buddhist philosophy informed his pragmatic perspective. As a longtime Park City local (40+ years), Gerry was a well respected member of the community. 

Gerry’s life was filled with spirited energy, adventure, and good times. Gerry skied around 200 days a year most seasons, was an accomplished telemark skier, and loved to take his daughter skiing every weekend. He was proud that his daughter “lost the fear of speed,” at a young age while skiing with him. He raised her with a mentality that she could do anything and brought her on many escapades throughout the world in search of nature’s beauty and for the thrill of being alive. Gerry shared his love of model trains, planes, cars, and rockets with his stepson. He encouraged his love of science. After his stepson was in an accident, he spent months helping him rehabilitate. 

He loved classic cars, sailing, golf (he was a single digit handicapper), fishing in Alaska, and music. He played in bands in his teens and early twenties and would later play guitar and sing in bands with other Park City locals. He was Mr. Christmas himself and dressed up as Santa for his family for many years. He would often be seen playing his resonator guitar with his dog at his feet in the front yard of his home on a warm summer day. He was an attentive beekeeper for a few years, and his honey was light like champagne. He was artistic and made wonderful stained glass pieces that could be found around his house. He was a great cook and was known to share dishes like his homemade meatballs and tomato sauce or his perfectly smoked salmon that he made from the fish he caught in Alaska. 

He had a sharp sense of humor and never let an opportunity pass for cracking a joke. Gerry would speak his mind, he was unconventional and sometimes irreverent, but he cared deeply and would help anyone in need. He had an active intellectual mind for philosophy and the beauty of the universe. For such an accomplished man he was rich with humor and humbleness. He often said, “If I knew anything I’d be on an island with palm trees”. 

Gerry will be missed by all who loved and knew him. He is survived by his daughter Gabriela Michelotti, of Kingston, New York; his stepson Bryan Pugh, of Orangeburg, South Carolina; his siblings Brian D’Elia of Del Ray, Florida, and Vivian D’Elia of Sarasota, Florida, and his yellow lab Bonzo the Wonderdog. Gerry was “Grandpa Gerry” to one grandchild, Lara Pugh of Bamberg, South Carolina. He was a loving father, grandfather, and sibling who instilled a sense of adventure, creativity, and humor. 

Gerry’s Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, April 20th 2024 at the The Lodges in Deer Valley, the Spruce Room, 2900 Deer Valley Dr E #201, Park City, UT, 84060, from 1-4pm.