Support Jerry's Family in Their Time of Loss

The world lost an amazing man on Sunday May 12th. My daddy Jerry. For anyone that knows him the sadness runs deep. He was always laughing and making everyone smile. Willing to lend a hand to anyone in need, no matter the extent of that need. No one was ever just a friend to dad, they were family to him. I have heard so many tales of how he was the first to teach the ropes of fishing all his friends. He was passionate about his fishing life and shared it with those that wanted to learn and be a part of the industry. There was more to him besides commercial fishing though. He was a dedicated father, always putting myself and my sisters needs before his own. He worked hard to provide for his family and always made sure we knew how much he loved us. When My mom and sister Sheari both passed away last year we decided it was time to pack up and get away. He was ready for a change of scenery as much as I was. So as a family dad, Adam, I and the animals moved to West Virginia. We got to spend 6 months together exploring the land, lake fishing, metal detecting for civil war treasures and getting to know each other better. I am so very grateful for these past 6 months. We made some really great memories! There were so many things we wanted to do and see together, we only got a fraction of them completed. He was so looking forward to getting to hunt on our land. One of his great joys was spending time with our dogs playing fetch and loving on the puppies and cat. It's hard to think he won't be sitting in his chair having coffee in the mornings when I finally wander out of bed everyday. I loved seeing that smiling face every morning.

He decided he wanted to drive back to Washington to visit his brother Bill and sister Sharon in April. The plan was to fly to Alaska and visit bother Norman and family for a couple weeks. Then Bill and he would drive back cross country so he could show Bill all the wonders of our new home. The day before his flight he admitted himself in the hospital with what he thought was a possible broken back. They had to cancel their trip and focus on healing. It turns out his back was not the problem. He had managed to get a staph infection of the blood that turned sepsis. He fought so very hard to heal. Asking what he needed to do to get to go home. He was so blessed to have so many friends and family get to come see him and cheer him on for strength and healing. What a blessing it was that he was back in Washington with everyone for his final days on this earth. Myself and my son Ty were able to fly in from the east coast to be with him, again what a wonderful blessing! He was able to share in our conversations with family and friends, laughing and crying. We are so grateful that we got quality time with him all the way to the end. He woke about 2:30 in the morning and asked for breakfast, he drank some orange juice and tried to order bacon and eggs but was just as happy with the applesauce we had available. He told us he was ready to check out and he loved us. We said a prayer with him and held his hands as he walked through those pearly gates. It only took about 10 minutes for reassuring him he was doing the right thing. Then he was gone. I was so peaceful and calm. We feel so lucky to have had those final moments together. So many don't get that luxury. Many of our family and friends took time off of work and traveled many miles to be with him everyday so he never felt scared or alone. I am asking for those of you that feel the need to help in any way to consider donating funds to help pay for his cremation and celebration as well as help to ease the burden of travel for those that might not be able to afford such expenses normally. Any amount would be a huge help and we would be so grateful. We hope to see you all at the celebration of life we are planning for him. We haven't buttoned up the details yet but when we do we will let everyone know the time and place. Please gather pictures and stories to share with others as well as a dish for sharing. We will be doing the celebration within the next 10 days so we can go back home to West Virginia as soon as dad is ready to go. Any remaining funds will be used in a way to honor his memory. If you have any ideas on charities or causes that he would have liked please feel free to share those with me. Thank you and God bless you.