Gerald Edward Middleton is the youngest in the Middleton Family, which consisted of 3 sisters
and 2 brothers. His parents are John Francis Middleton and Mary Price Middleton who
predeceased him. Gerald was born at Freedmen’s Hospital/Howard University, Washington,
D.C. on December 02, 1947. He was 20 years younger than his oldest sister. When his oldest
sister and her husband had their first child, Gerald became an uncle at the age of 4. He and 3
of his siblings married only children. He is a 4 th generation Washingtonian. On November 04,
2024, he peacefully made his transition to be with the Lord.
Gerald came into this world fighting to survive. With a birth weight of 2lbs. 4 oz., this preterm
baby was born after 6 months and so many days. This Premature boy was a “blue baby” who
received all new blood to stay alive. Gerald remained in the hospital for 6 months before
coming home to live with his parents.

Education.
Gerald attended Bruce Elementary School in Washington, D.C. The same school attended by
his older siblings. He participated in sports while attending Paul Junior High School in
Washington, D.C. He ran the 4 X 100 relays as the anchor; and was the fastest Track Team
runner on the 130 relay team.
Gerald graduated from Calvin Coolidge High School in Washington, D.C. (Class of 1967).
He was also a member of Explorer Post 544, sponsored by Peoples Congregational Church in
Washington, D.C. For 3 years he was a member of the Cadet Corp/Junior ROTC.
His extroverted personality made him a very popular high school student.
After service in the Navy, Gerald continued classes at the University of the District of Columbia
(UDC). Complications from his Navy injury put an end to his college career.

Work and Military.
Work.
Gerald worked at Harry Diamond Laboratories while being a part time student at DC Teachers
College (now the University of the District of Columbia).
Upon learning that his Draft number was coming up, Gerald took the Navy test and left behind
his Harry Diamond Laboratories job.

Upon returning from the Navy, Gerald worked for the Department of the Treasury, Bureau of
Engraving and Printing. Complications from his Navy injury meant retiring from the Bureau of
Engraving and Printing.
Military.
The Navy called Gerald and he attending Navy training at the Great Lakes. When he left
Washington, D.C the temperate was 40 degrees. When he reach Chicago, Illinois for his
military training, the temperature was 0 (Zero).
Gerald served on the Aircraft Carrier USS Constellation (CVA-64), and the Aircraft Carrier USS
Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42). He worked on the flight deck launching jets, one of the most
dangerous jobs in the world, during the Vietnam War.
Navy Injury.
An accident aboard the aircraft carrier left Gerald unconscious with a spinal injury. He was
medevacked from the Mediterranean Sea to his home port of Jacksonville, Florida. He woke up
paralyzed from the waist down and was told he would never walk again. But God had other
plans. The nerves were temporarily stunned and with physical therapy, he learned to walk
again.
He was honorably discharged from the Navy for medical reasons. The Navy accident left
permanent damage that triggered 4 spinal surgeries over his life time. Each time retaining the
ability to walk.

Personality.
In spite of having 4 spinal surgeries, Gerald was a natural extrovert; full of good humor and
laughter. Wife Deborah would tell people that he could make ‘Dirt Talk’. He laughed all the
time and made those around him laugh all the time as well.

The Arts.
Music.
Gerald traveled to New York to see a friend, opera singer Joyce Mathis, perform at the Lincoln
Center in New York.
Gerald traveled to Portsmouth, Virginia attending a local concert featuring Sister Magnolia
Barnes (his mother-in-law, who was a classically trained lyric soprano) and the Temple Chorale.
He was a JAZZ man, attending performances at Blues Alley in Georgetown (located in
Washington, D.C.), the Carter Barron Amphitheater, in Washington, D.C., Woof Trap, in Vienna,
Virginia, and Strathmore Music Center in Bethesda, Maryland. His favorite jazz performer was
John Coltrane and his favorite jazz singer was Johnny Hartman.
Museums.
Along with many people, Gerald made a small contribution to the Smithsonian when they built
the African Museum in Washington, D.C. Gerald enjoyed attending one of the Smithsonian
receptions and viewing the museum before it opened to the public.

When the tourist went home; Gerald toured many Smithsonian Institution museums in
Washington, D.C., enjoying the exhibits with fewer people around. He toured the African
American Museum 5 times.
He enjoyed visiting the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Holland, in the Netherlands (with wife
Deborah) along with visiting the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Holland.
He visited the Museum of the Bible (located in Washington, D.C.) and was fascinated by all the
bibles printed over the millennia (including bibles from Ethiopia).
Knowledge.
Gerald’s philosophy was, learn something when watching television. His favorite shows were
National Geographic and NOVA. He enjoyed history, science, astronomy, and other
documentaries. He enjoyed reading atlases and maps and was a geography and history buff.

Sports.
Track and Field events were a favorite Gerald Middleton sport.
Gerald was also a diehard Washington Commanders fan (even when the team had losing
seasons).
Gerald and wife Deborah attended team games when his brother, John Middleton, did not use
his season tickets (before the Commanders and before the Washington Football Team era).
Travel.
When traveling by car, Gerald was the Navigator (reading the maps), and wife Deborah was the
Helmsman (driving the car).
Gerald traveled to Lincoln, Nebraska; Harpers Ferry, West Virginia; San Francisco, California;
Brooklyn, New York; New Jersey; Connecticut; Atlanta, Georgia; New Orleans, Louisiana;
Miami, Florida; and Springfield, Massachusetts.
International Travel – Freeport, Bahamas; Nassau, Bahamas; Paradise Island, Bahamas;
Amsterdam, Holland, The Netherlands; Germany; and Vienna, Austria.
Membership in the Navy gave Gerald travel experiences in Athens, Greece; Thessalonica,
Greece; Naples, Italy; Nice, France; Marcé, France; and Monaco (Monte Carlo).
His ability to make ‘‘Dirt Talk” triggered a conversation with a restaurant owner in Nice, France.
The restaurant owner was from Brooklyn, New York and knew Gerald’s older sister, Theresa
Roche (who lived in Brooklyn, New York at that time).

Family.
Gerald is predeceased by his sisters Theresa Roche, and Lorraine Moulden. Gerald is survived
by his wife of 43 years Deborah Barnes-Middleton, his brother John Francis Middleton (Mary),
his sister Barbara Holman, along with cousins, nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews,
great great nieces, great great nephews, family members, and friends.