Jerry was my next door neighbor growing up in Oakland.

He absolutely loved playing his guitar every day.  I could hear him playing his Ricky Nelson records and singing along, playing his guitar.   Sometimes I had to yell into his window to lower the volume….and he wouldn’t say anything.  He would lower the volume and pretty soon it was playing loudly again.   

     He had a head of beautiful curly hair, I always remembered that!  He was never mean or malicious, he was always smiling, I can still remember his smile although I hadn’t seen him for years.   I went to his Senior Ball with him and we double dated with my brother and his date.  We stayed out all night and of course my mom wasn’t at all concerned since we were with my brother!  We went to his Oakland High Sr Prom and danced and had fun.

After Jerry and my brother Pete enlisted in the Air Force we didn’t see each other as often.  But when I did see him, he always had the cutest, best smile, was always engaging and I couldn’t have asked for a better “nextdoor neighbor”.

I’m really sad that I didn’t get to see Jerry in the last years of his life.  Scherri graciously invited my brother Pete and I to go visit them as Jerry wasn’t feeling well.  I thought I had more time to make the trip to go see Jerry but in hindsight I didn’t.  Jerry Will ALWAYS be in my heart, my mind and especially in my prayers.  Although with a soul like Jerry’s’, he’s already in Heaven praying for us and guiding his beloved family.   Thank you Scherri for for being his lovely wife and being by his side all these years❣️