This obituary is part of “We Will Remember,” a series about those we’ve lost to the coronavirus.
Gerald T. Terlep was a calm man who believed people were good. He was known for putting a positive spin on situations and helping people turn their lives around.
Terlep, 78, died Jan. 31 at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital in Clinton Township as a result of complications from COVID-19.
Known to some as Jerry, Terlep was the oldest of six siblings and took on a father-figure role at the age of 11 to help his mother after the death of his father and the loss of his stepfather later in life.
The family moved to Detroit from Joilet, Illinois, when Terlep was a teenager. He attended St. David Catholic School in Detroit, received his undergraduate degree from St. John the Baptist Carmelite Novitiate and then attended Wayne State University, where he received a master’s degree and doctorate in education.
Terlep, a New Baltimore resident, spent more than 50 years as a social worker and therapist.
After retiring from Henry Ford Hospital Health System, he and his wife of 34 years, Nancy, founded and operated CUBE, a private therapy practice. Terlep was especially proud of CUBE and had been working from home recently.
“The Experience of Love in Marriage” was the title of Terlep’s doctoral dissertation, and he lived what he wrote about with his wife. They were inseparable and enjoyed traveling, eating daily breakfasts together and sharing their love of reading.
He was family-focused and passionate about philosophy, history and education. Terlep was bemused by current events and loved to share his spin on the latest news. He was also a huge fan of all sports in Michigan.
Terlep cherished his work and enjoyed learning from his clients, many of whom were disabled or survivors of war, addiction or violence. They came to him seeking peace and a better life, according to his daughter, Sharon Terlep. His wit and humility helped him relate to everyone with comforting and encouraging words.
A client recently said, “The minute you met him, you knew you weren’t getting sized up,” his daughter recalled.
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“He felt like there was room for everybody in the world. … He had a positive spin on everything,” she said, noting that her father would always see the positive side of a situation when she thought he should agree with her that life was hard.
Terlep was also known for getting things done for people.
“He said one time from his view that the system was set up to not help people and his system was set up to help people,” his son Alan said when remembering how his father knew how to get through red tape to help people.
Terlep, who had underlying health conditions, was vaccinated and had the booster shot for COVID-19.
Before Christmas, he experienced severe cold symptoms and, after several days, found a place where he could get tested for the virus. His test came back positive. He received a sotrovimab infusion and started to feel better, but had a lingering cough that his doctor attributed to his COVID-19 recovery, his daughter recalled. After several days at home, his oxygen levels dropped below 90% and he was admitted to the hospital.
Terlep’s condition seemed to improve on some days and then take a turn for the worse on others. He was eventually put on a ventilator while also fighting a blood bacterial infection, according to his daughter. He died overnight before his family could arrive to be with him.
Terlep is survived by his wife, Nancy; children Andrew Raymond, Alan (Jessica) and Sharon (Rachel Hood); grandchildren Jazz Raymond, Aspen (Dani Rollins), Hassan McClean and Murphy Hood Terlep; siblings James Terlep (Rosa), Cathy Stocz (Donald), Mary Beth Wiley (Dan), Mary Lou Regan (James) and Webb Terlep (Belle).
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Brendel Hightower is an assistant editor at the Detroit Free Press. Contact her at bhightower@freepress.com.