Thursday, June 24, 2021
Jerry was my oldest sibling, a difference of age of 8 and one-half years. I was too young to remember his battle with polio, but remember the aftermath. It’s an image of him in the alley doing sprints one after another for as long as he could, and lifting weights as hard as he could. Every day he would sprint in the alley and several days a week he would lift weights. His efforts to recover from polio were astonishing and inspiring to watch. As a result of his hard work, he became quite a good athlete in high school and got an offer to play football in college. A college scholarship is evidence of excellence and, in Jerry’s case, remarkable. His discipline and work ethic had a great impact on my life for which I have always been grateful.
I have learned from all of my siblings who, as a group, were all different, but we also shared much in common. I view myself as being most akin to Jerry. We thought alike, our view of the military was similar, we loved sports both as a player and spectator, we gave back to the community where we could. At the same time, we were not seekers of the limelight. We loved being at home doing our hobbies and house chores. Our own families were the most important thing in our life, and we were satisfied to be there for them.
I can’t end without commenting on the “Dad Jokes” brought up by his daughters. I too am a “Dad Joke” person. I can’t remember how many times my spouse and children would ask me to can the corny jokes when we gathered with others; usually to no avail. Yes, we shared the same sense of humor. Jerry was the master and I was the younger understudy learning the craft.
I will miss you Jerry
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