Richard Gere was very close with his father, Homer—he even named his firstborn son after him!
Homer Gere Sr. was a “community activist” who often organized meals for the less fortunate. His obituary read that, “he was 100 years old at the time of his death on March 1, 2023. A successful insurance agent until his retirement at the age of 65, Gere was known in the community as a gifted entrepreneur and was awarded for his work as a volunteer for North Area Meals on Wheels. As a supporter of that non-profit organization, he was featured in national advertisements alongside his son Richard Gere.“
When his son asked Homer why he was inspired to devote his life to volunteering, he said:
“There was kind of an abandoned house, that’s where we got started with Meals-On-Wheels. We kind of fill the need for people as they got older. When you can feel somebody else benefitting by your life in some way, you can’t help but feel good about it, I think.”
Years later, Richard is a father to three of his own children. Though he may have formed a reputation as a bit of a womanizer, Gere says that he’s now, “the happiest man in the universe and how couldn’t I be! I’m married to a beautiful, sensitive, funny woman who’s committed to helping people and is a great mother.”
Gere says that his wife, Alejandra Silva, has, “changed my life. And marriage does have a meaning. If you do it from your heart. It is a milestone for us both.”
He also calls son, Homer, “the joy of my life. He loves music, is a fast runner, and is very smart. Very funny. He quickly learned irony, wonderful quality for any human being.”
Sources:
https://news.amomama.com/294433-richard-gere-took-dad-hometown-diner-his.html
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/lifestyle/at-70-gere-to-be-a-father-again-857562#:~:text=Hollywood%20actor%20Richard%20Gere%20is%20soon%20to%20cherish,his%20wife%E2%80%99s%20next%20one%20is%20due%20in%20spring. https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/family/richard-gere-s-hero-dad-dies-months-after-celebrating-100th-birthday-in-local-restaurant/ar-AA18C8jz
