Gerald F. Cerce

Gerald “Jerry” F. Cerce, 65, of Tequesta, Florida died early Tuesday morning, April 2, 2013, after a long and courageous battle with brain cancer. He was the husband of Linda (Porcaro) Cerce. Born in Providence, he was the son of the late Angelo M. and Concetta (Fiorenzano) Cerce. Jerry graduated from Bryant College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management in 1969 and shortly thereafter purchased a small costume jewelry company, Femic, Inc., which had at the time annual sales of $250,000. Under his guidance and leadership, Femic grew through numerous acquisitions, including the purchase of the Foster Grant sunglass company, to over $250,000,000 in sales. In 1996, Mr. Cerce and his partners sold a portion of their firm to a private equity company and ultimately sold the balance of their interests in 2002. Throughout the period Mr. Cerce served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company until he assumed the role of Chairman in 2000. In 2002, he formed Management Capital, a private equity firm, along with two partners to invest in small businesses. He was also a founding member of Cherrystone Angel Group and served as their Chairman from 2005 to 2008, a Rhode Island based angel investment company, that invests in seed money to help entrepreneurs get their ideas off the ground.

Mr. Cerce served on the Bryant University Board of Trustees from 1990 until 1999, and then was asked by the board to serve again 2007 until present and a former member of the Providence Economic Development Corporation. He was previously a member of the Young Presidents Organization and is a member of the World Presidents Organization. He also sits as Director of a number of private companies including his children’s at Speidel . In 1993, he was named by Ernest & Young and Inc Magazine as the Entrepreneur of the Year. Mr. Cerce was an avid golfer and a member of the Jupiter Hills Country Club and Carnegie Abbey Country Club.

He leaves his children, Lynn-Marie Cerce Sisto and her husband, Jason A. Sisto, and his son, Gennaro F. Cerce, and his wife, Margaret Cerce, as well as three grandchildren, Gennaro F. Cerce, Jr., John J. Cerce and Concetta Cina Sisto.

His funeral will be held on Saturday, April 6, at 9 AM from the Maceroni Funeral Home, 1381 Smith Street, North Providence, Rhode Island, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 AM at St. Pius V Roman Catholic Church, Eaton Street, Providence. Calling hours will be from 4 PM to 8 PM on Friday, April 5. Burial will be in Swan Point Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations should be sent in his memory to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Dr. Patrick Wen’s Brain Tumor Research Fund, 10 Brookline Place West 6th Floor Brookline, MA 02445-7226.