Jerry's Niece's MySpace Post

Jerrys Neice shares her heart touching emotion and anger at the situation

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=225967197&blogID=342203357

Farewell Fellow Boater

When the wind blows I am drawn to the lake, to the sailboat.
Any other activity I might be engaged in becomes temporarily less important.

Jerry was the occasional wind surfer I saw out on the lake on windy days.
Several times, after sailing at the lake, I would run into Jerry back at the marina. We would hang out and talk a little while about sailboats, wind surfing, or adventures or projects.

I didn’t really know Jerry well, and yet, as a fellow appreciator of all things powered by the wind, I feel a great loss, as if a family member has passed.

Arthur Doak

Saying Goodbye

Saying Goodbye to Jerry is particularly difficult because my favorite exchange with Jerry was always our "hellos." Jerry was an avid Seinfeld watcher, so our phone calls and/or emails always began with the Seinfeld/Newman greeting - "Helllooooooo, Jerry" to which he'd retort with Seinfeld's snide greeting to Newman, except with my name inserted. Corny, but we happily kept it up for all the years I knew him.

I met Jerry in 1998 through my friends, Donna and Rebel. Jerry designed and hosted a website for me and basically answered every question I had regarding anything even remotely related to computers. I moved from Nashville to LA in 2001, and Jerry remained my faithful technical support guru across the miles. One year, I FedExed him a broken laptop, and on numerous occasions he would take remote control of my computer to fix whatever mess I'd gotten into. For all the time, energy, and expertise Jerry generously shared with me, he never asked for payment. I always initiated any discussions of money and would have to ask how much I owed him. Whatever amount he named was about 1/100th of what his time and expertise was really worth.

Jerry was kind, generous, hard-working, honest, dependable, quick-witted, and, boy, did he love his dog, Shadow. Jerry's death hasn't really sunk in yet, so I'll be saying my goodbyes to him for a while. I still can't believe that I'll never again pick up the phone to dial his number and say, "Helllooo, Jerry."

My grief at the loss of his friendship is immense. I am grateful to God for the blessing of knowing Jerry. Although my belief in heaven includes no specifics other than our being present with God, in Jerry's case, I feel certain that God will arrange for strong winds and clear skies to welcome him.
- posted by Sarah N

I didn't know Jerry well, but I had met him at Jody's a few times and at a few juggler's parties and get togethers, and for some reason we just clicked like we had known each other for years. I'd sailed out to Cook's Inlet a few times where he and Rebel and Donna were windsurfing, and Jerry was always very friendly and helpful. When my wife needed some webhosting, Jerry was very helpful in hosting her accounts, and whenever I needed webmastering help, I knew I could always e-mail Jerry, and within a day, he would always have some great ideas or solutions to my coding problems.

Jerry always seemed to be a very kind and helpful guy... Wish I would have known him as a musician and been able to play with him, because he always seemed to be very sensitive kind of guy, and I bet he would have been fun to make music with. He was a friend who you felt like you've known forever, and always wanted to get to know better... What a loss that he is gone...

The one thing that I have learned from this, that I think Jerry would have encouraged, is to appreciate your friends while you have them, and get to know them while you can.
-Dan

A good memory

What a shock to hear about this ! I went widsurfing with
Jerry a few months ago. I'm from Hawaii originally and it
had been a lot of years since I'd had the chance to do that.
My friend Robyn invited me but couldn't show at the last
minute. I met Jerry anyway out at Percy Priest lake on
this beautiful peninsula.

He let me share his board, and after about 800 tries
(it was smaller racing board, not an easy one to get the
hang of in a light wind), I got up and had a great ride
for about a 1/4 mile. Then I couldn't sale the darn
thing back !

Jerry chivalrously picked his way along the lake
shore to where I was struggling, andsailed it back
to the launch site for me... he had a kind soul, and
I'm grateful he gave me that chance to reacquaint
myself withthis joyous sport from my childhood.

The Quiet Uniter

At the funeral I ran into to so many people from his many worlds that said "Jerry used to call us up and we would all get together". As I thought about it, thats exactly what he did with the windsurfing community in middle Tenn. Besdies of always being on the lake he was a key member of the original Windsurfing Association and acted as Commodore I think even to this day. For nearly a decade when the wind was over 15 mph my phone would ring and I knew it was Jerry. Ive also noticed in the forums the number of people that said that Jerry taught them how to windsurf or just encouraged them to stay with it. If it wasnt for seeing Jerry and Tim out at the lake I would have probably not gone out that much and create all those wonderful moments of waiting on the lake shore discussing condtions, gear, life, and everything else under the sun as we watched it set.

By just being there Jerry had a huge influence on my life during that time. While waiting on the shore for the wind to pick up I would talk about computers and being a self employed computer professional. Jerry showed no interest for years, but then for some reason he agreed to buy one of my old computers. I was thrilled to help him out like he had helped me with windsurfing. I answered questions off an on for a year or so, and then within two years we were all asking him the questions. He not only learned to control the computer but tear them down and put them together from a hardware and software perspective. Very quick learner due to his shear persistance and obsession.

I dont know how he stumbled upon web page construction, but I think this was an extension to quietly unite larger groups of people. Before long he was the best web craftsman of anyone I have ever personally met. We quickly proclaimed him king of the good looking web page and off he went uniting even larger and larger groups. This is evident in the newsgroups that have been buzzing about his sudden death.

At the funeral I met a couple who had only met Jerry once in person but knew him closely because of all the postings on blogs and from creating their web pages. I dont really believe he is gone. I have new computer toys to show him and web pages for my clients that I know he will do a smash up job with. oh and my kids....Im counting on him being there when I show my kids how to work the wind at Cooks beach on Percy Preist Lake. Jerry wont be there and that breaks my heart and I never thought it wouldnt happen. He will just be a legendary figure in words as we describe the man who was the glue for middle tennessee windsurfing. Jerry was a quiet uniter for many lake lovers, bloggers, musicians and Im sure other worlds that I never knew about.

Surfing The Stars

I didn't know Jerry as a wind surfer, though I did know that was his passion. I knew him as a friend, fellow webmaster and flash designer. Matter of fact, a lot of what I know about Flash, began with Jerry. When I'd near completion, I'd send it to him for a quick look see and critique. He was always helpful with a comment, software solution or more.

Over the years I worked with him on a couple video projects, and saw first hand his knowledge and intensity. He believed in doing a project right, and would put in the time to make certain it met his customer's needs and specs.

A few years back, he spent hours at my home solving a network problem, trying everything he could, talking to his circle of other gurus. Finally, when we simply could NOT get it working... he drove all the way home, then back again, merely so he could try a different network card. And did he charge me? Nope, I did promise him dinner, although because that particular evening I had (romantic) plans, we postponed.

We of course cannot plan how we leave this world, and I'm sure Jerry did not know his minutes were numbered when he interacted to help a fellow human being. But then, is that not the way of heroes? Not to think of themself, instead to think of others, putting their needs above their own.

Here's a bible quote which I think sums it up...

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13).”

Jerry took that verse even further, paying the ultimate sacrifice to help someone whom he did not even know...

Jerry... I miss you man... and I honor your memory.