Jerry Kent Wall, 81, passed away December 18, 2020, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.
Jerry was born on August 11, 1939, in Iowa City, Iowa, to Burton L. and June A. Wall.
He is survived by his two children, Heather Wall Garrett (Todd) of Columbus, Ga.; and Michael Shane Wall (Marie) of Statesboro, Ga.; five grandchildren, sisters, Connie Cocking (Mike) of Englewood, Fla.; and Cherryl Lindsey of Glendale, Ariz.; and five nieces who thought the world of him.
Jerry graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Arizona State University in 1961, and upon graduation, was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army.
On October 5, 1963, Jerry married the love of his life, Sharlene Locker Wall, who passed away in February of this year.
Shortly after being married, Jerry's and Sharlene’s jobs took them to Korea, where they lived for a year. While in Korea, they were fortunate enough to be able to visit several countries within Asia.
Upon returning from Korea, Jerry served two tours in Vietnam. He was a decorated soldier whose awards included the Army Commendation Medal with 2 bronze oak leaf clusters, National Defense Service medal, a Purple Heart, Vietnam Service Medal with four bronze stars, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, Bronze Star medal with 1 oak leaf cluster as well as others.
While still in the Army, Jerry went on to receive his master's degree from Appalachian State University in 1977.
Jerry retired from active duty in 1982 and he and Sharlene decided to make Columbus, Georgia, their home.
Jerry served as the primary military instructor over the JROTC program at Kendrick High School from 1983-2000. He thoroughly enjoyed teaching his students what it meant to serve our country.
He relished swimming in his backyard pool with his five grandchildren: Avery, Meyers, Sophie, Camille and Lucy; a great cooked medium-rare steak, a good bottle of wine, laughing with family and friends and a challenging game of golf.
His quick-witted humor and unforgettable comedic facial expressions will be dearly missed.
Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers, especially Jerry’s oldest granddaughter, Avery, who visited her PawPaw almost every day at Thrive, bringing him either a Chick-fil-A milkshake or waffle fries.
A special thank you to the caregivers at Thrive at Green Island for caring and loving our Dad/PawPaw over the past year. A special thank you to Nesia Gordon and Laquese Adams from Visiting Angels for your care and love over the past couple of months and to Columbus Hospice for the support we received.
At Jerry’s request, a private family service will be held at a later date, according to McMullen Funeral Home and Crematory, 3874 Gentian Boulevard, Columbus, GA 31907.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Wounded Warrior Family Support at www.woundedwarriorfamilysupport.com in honor of his service or to The Alzheimer’s Association at https://act.alz.org/donate in hopes that a cure is found.
Statesboro Herald, December 22, 2020
Sign the Legacy online guestbook at www.statesboroherald.com.
Jerry was born on August 11, 1939, in Iowa City, Iowa, to Burton L. and June A. Wall.
He is survived by his two children, Heather Wall Garrett (Todd) of Columbus, Ga.; and Michael Shane Wall (Marie) of Statesboro, Ga.; five grandchildren, sisters, Connie Cocking (Mike) of Englewood, Fla.; and Cherryl Lindsey of Glendale, Ariz.; and five nieces who thought the world of him.
Jerry graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Arizona State University in 1961, and upon graduation, was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army.
On October 5, 1963, Jerry married the love of his life, Sharlene Locker Wall, who passed away in February of this year.
Shortly after being married, Jerry's and Sharlene’s jobs took them to Korea, where they lived for a year. While in Korea, they were fortunate enough to be able to visit several countries within Asia.
Upon returning from Korea, Jerry served two tours in Vietnam. He was a decorated soldier whose awards included the Army Commendation Medal with 2 bronze oak leaf clusters, National Defense Service medal, a Purple Heart, Vietnam Service Medal with four bronze stars, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, Bronze Star medal with 1 oak leaf cluster as well as others.
While still in the Army, Jerry went on to receive his master's degree from Appalachian State University in 1977.
Jerry retired from active duty in 1982 and he and Sharlene decided to make Columbus, Georgia, their home.
Jerry served as the primary military instructor over the JROTC program at Kendrick High School from 1983-2000. He thoroughly enjoyed teaching his students what it meant to serve our country.
He relished swimming in his backyard pool with his five grandchildren: Avery, Meyers, Sophie, Camille and Lucy; a great cooked medium-rare steak, a good bottle of wine, laughing with family and friends and a challenging game of golf.
His quick-witted humor and unforgettable comedic facial expressions will be dearly missed.
Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers, especially Jerry’s oldest granddaughter, Avery, who visited her PawPaw almost every day at Thrive, bringing him either a Chick-fil-A milkshake or waffle fries.
A special thank you to the caregivers at Thrive at Green Island for caring and loving our Dad/PawPaw over the past year. A special thank you to Nesia Gordon and Laquese Adams from Visiting Angels for your care and love over the past couple of months and to Columbus Hospice for the support we received.
At Jerry’s request, a private family service will be held at a later date, according to McMullen Funeral Home and Crematory, 3874 Gentian Boulevard, Columbus, GA 31907.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Wounded Warrior Family Support at www.woundedwarriorfamilysupport.com in honor of his service or to The Alzheimer’s Association at https://act.alz.org/donate in hopes that a cure is found.
Statesboro Herald, December 22, 2020
Sign the Legacy online guestbook at www.statesboroherald.com.