Gerald F. Fidler's Obituary
Gerald Fidler, a long-time union organizer and resident of Chantilly, VA, died unexpectedly at home on August 29, 2020 at the age of 55.
Gerry is survived by his father Glenn of Cortland, NY, his beloved wife Melissa (Melzer) and his sons Aaron and Gabriel who were the lights of his life. Additionally, Gerry is survived by his siblings, Yolanda Bishop, Chris Martin, and Joseph Fidler.
A life-long New York Yankees fan, Gerry was born and raised in Cortland, NY where he graduated from Cortland Jr./Sr. High School in 1983. He also attended Siena College in Loudonville, NY. Gerry completed Harvard University’s Senior Executive Program at the JFK School of Government in 2011.
Gerry started his career in the labor movement as a legislative intern with New York's Civil Service Employee's Association (CSEA). He was hired by CSEA as a Political Action Coordinator in January of 1989. He spent eleven years with CSEA, first in New York City and then moving to Central New York as an Upstate Political Coordinator. Gerry's knowledge of and passion for politics greatly enhanced the political prowess of CSEA in the upstate region.
In February 2000, Gerry moved his family to Washington, DC to join the national union staff at the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) as the Associate Director of their department of Political Action. During his 20 years with the national union he traveled the country working to mobilize union members to vote for and volunteer on the campaigns of hundreds of candidates running for offices ranging from school board to president. Win or lose, Gerry’s enthusiasm on those campaigns was contagious and along the way he touched lives of countless people who remember him fondly as someone who helped them realize how they could use their voices and their votes to make the world a better place. Gerry’s advocacy for the rights of working people came from the heart and he lived his life by the principles that he espoused on the campaign trail, respecting his union family and the people that he met on the trail without regard for station or title.
In addition to his dedication to the labor movement and his family, Gerry had a special place in his heart for our nation’s veterans and for volunteerism. Among the many volunteer roles that Gerry played in his life are his annual sojourns to participate in cleaning the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, his participation in the AFL-CIO’s Veterans’ Committee on behalf of AFSCME and his fearless trip into the aftermath of Katrina to provide aid and comfort to people displaced by the storm. Most recently, Gerry volunteered for the Loudoun Medical Reserve Corp to assist with COVID-19 response in his community.
Gerry's passion was to train and educate union leaders. Many thousands of AFSCME members and others who had the opportunity to join one of his classes would all say that he had a way of bringing the attention of his students to the matter at hand in a way that was genuine, heartfelt and entertaining. The labor movement will miss him sorely as we try to carry on in his life’s mission with his light diminished but still guiding us forward.
What’s your fondest memory of Gerald?
What’s a lesson you learned from Gerald?
Share a story where Gerald's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Gerald you’ll never forget.
How did Gerald make you smile?