Jaroslav Makovicka, known as Jerry to his many friends and customers of the Little Prague Bakery at 6045 California Ave. S.W. in West Seattle passed away suddenly, Oct. 19. He was 67.

Married to Marie, his wife for 45 years, Jerry was also an iron worker whose many stairway railings and other metal creations can be found all around West Seattle.

Makovicka came from what was then called Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic) in 1985 to Seattle and worked at Paccar and then in 1990 opened an iron design and fabrication business called B.S.D. European Iron Design making garden gates, railings, security doors and window iron. Right around the same time he and wife Marie leased space on Calfornia Avenue from Stuffed Shirt Catering and opened the Little Prague Bakery in the front. They began to take their product to the area farmers markets as they opened and the business grew. In 2003 they took over the whole space. For now the business will stay open.

His daughter Blanka said, "It was very unexpected. He was very loving and helpful. He always wanted to help people. He would be in a hurry and see someone struggling and would drop everything and go help out. He was never mad or frustrated. He was very easy going, laughing all the time."

She related a story that revealed Jerry's character. "There was a lady who lived near our shop. She was from France and had some tragedy of her own. She said, 'I was so sad to move here and was walking and saw the bakery.' My dad was always outside to greet people. 'He was the first person I talked to in West Seattle and he was so cheerful it cheered me up.' It was so nice to hear that about my dad."

Memorial Service is set for Tuesday, October 29, 2013 at 12:00pm through Purdy & Walters at Floral Hills Lynnwood, Washington.

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