Gerret Wikoff

Since 1980, Gerret has been a licensed general contractor doing construction, carpentry and remodeling in the Los Angeles, Hollywood, Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena areas and, from time to time, in Las Vegas and his clients’ seasonal homes in western ski resorts. Gerret specializes in first- and second-story additions, patios, decks, trellises, kitchen and bath remodels, and general remodels. He was a sub and prime contractor for commercial and residential clients.

Gerret was born at the University Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, founded and led by his grandfather, John Henry Gerstenberger. Gerret was raised since he was a couple of weeks old in Lake Placid, first on Signal Hill when his parents worked at the Mirror Lake Inn. When he was 10, his parents established the Sun & Ski Lodge, which would, in time, feature the popular Happy Jack’s bar.

When Gerret was three, he started his journey to becoming an avid skier by learning on the Inn’s Dream Hill, Scott’s Cobble and Whiteface Ski Center. While briefly a member of the Junior Jumpers, Gerret became a member of Lake Placid High School’s cross-country ski team. His other life-long passions were playing chess, reading science fiction and photography.

Gerret learned how to work developing hospitality skills under his grandmother Climena Wikoff at the Mirror Lake Inn and construction skills through assisting his father in the seemingly never-ending number of expansions and renovations to the Sun & Ski Lodge. Gerret graduated with an associate in applied science (AAS) degree in Photography from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Following college, Gerret worked in hospitality in New York City before moving to Los Angeles with his future wife, Cheryl Clark. He became a mechanic specializing in Volkswagen repair and opened a repair shop there. In addition, he developed a love for attending drag car races. However, he found the car repair business less profitable than he desired, so he studied for and passed the license exam to become a general contractor.

Gerret and Cheryl raised three children: Tammy Celeste, Christy Mayken and Pieter Aukey. In time, Gerret became the devoted grandfather to two grandchildren by Pieter and his wife Crystal, Pape and Cajun Jax of Los Angles, and later two more by Christy and Elizabeth Allen, their sons Campbell Clark and Logan Boone of Denver.

Gerret is survived by his wife, Cheryl, three children and their spouses, four grandchildren, brothers Naj Wikoff and Renee Cosgrove of Keene Valley, and Chris and Eva Rangel-Ribeiro of Wilmington, their children, many first cousins on both sides, his sister-in-law Diane Clark, and others.

As a devoted grandfather, Gerret taught his grandchildren how to play chess, cook and ski, read to them when they were little, and involved them in a wide array of creative and fun adventures that had them shouting for joy whenever he arrived.

A celebration of Gerret’s life will be held in Lake Placid and Los Angeles at a future date.