Thursday, April 20, 2023
/public-file/1654/Ultra/Image_jpg.jpg
On April 13th, my friend Gary Dumond transitioned to the realm beyond this life.
Gerry, as I knew him, was a friend and musical mentor for over 42 years. I first met Gerry while working at JC Penney, at University Park Mall. In fact, Gerry sold me my first stereo system - an MCS Stereo Receiver, Cassette Deck, Turntable and Speakers. Gerry also took the time to talk to me about all types of music, especially music that you didn’t hear played on the radio.
To introduce me to the tunes, Gerry would share mix tapes that he’d assemble from his record collection. He would also have me over to his home to listen to music. We’d spend the evening talking about bands, and songs, and how the music helped to improve your mind. And for a young person, that guidance helped to develop my taste and preferences.
As time has a way of doing, Gerry and I walked different paths for a few decades. I left my job a JC Penney, after college, and Gerry eventually looked for work beyond JCP. Gerry moved down the mall and worked for Sears, in their stereo department. Being a Sears family, I’d still see Gerry from time to time, when I’d visit my Dad at the store. Gerry was always up to date on the latest technology and trends in music, and music reproduction. In fact, Gerry sold me my first Compact Disc Player and suggested I pick up the new (at the time) Rolling Stones CD - Steel Wheels.
For a few years we both got busy with life and kids, but Gerry and I eventually found ourselves reconnecting on the riverfront in Downtown Niles, Michigan. Niles has a vibrant Live Music scene at the Riverfront Amphitheater. Back then, the concerts ran from May through September - The Niles Bluegrass Festival would start the season the last weekend in May, and there were concerts every Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evening through the end of summer - weather permitting. We both loved listening to the music, and Gerry got in the habit of recording the shows he saw, and then sharing Video DVDs with the artists and his friends. When my band, Hey Annie, started to perform in Niles in 2009, there was Gerry on the hillside capturing our live performances. Eventually, YouTube came into popularity and Gerry would upload the shows to his YouTube channel - Harmonies Du Jour. There is a veritable treasure trove of National, Regional and Local touring acts on his channel and available for viewing.
These past few years, I didn’t see much of Gerry. We would exchange messages through Social Media, if something of mutual interest caught our eyes. We both still deeply loved music, and both had a passion for the old MCS stereo gear. This year, when Gerry sent me a birthday greeting, on March 29th - my reply to him with thanks and for good health was met with a “guess you haven’t heard” reply. It was then that I learned that Gerry was very sick, and his prognosis was grim. Two old friends, one staring down his own mortality, said the things that friends of 42 years say - you meant a great deal to me and made a difference in my life. Just fifteen days later, Gerry passed.
Gerry was a kind and gentle soul, and he will be greatly missed by his wife Shelley, and all who knew him. Godspeed, Gerry!
