The reason I call Jerry a brave man is because he kept going
against all odds. At the age of nine
years old, Jerry was struck down by polio and became a paraplegic. Before that he was a normal kid living on a
farm. I can't even imagine how difficult
it was for Jerry and his family.
I didn't meet Jerry until middle school, but I remember he
always had a smile on his face. Jerry
loved sports and while in high school he lettered as a manager of the football
team. He graduated from Lawrence
High School University
of Kansas
He became an amateur radio operator joining the Lawrence
Amateur Radio Club, and he enjoyed taking part in their Field Days. His call letters were WA0OWH. He was asked to join a committee to discuss
how best to help those with disabilities, and Jerry made many suggestions to
help people get around in his situation.
Jerry worked as a computer lab instructor at Independence,
Inc, where he had completed several business courses in computers. Technology was his friend, and he made use of
voice-assisted technology. Jerry lived
next door to his parents and for the last ten years next door to his
sister.
The other heroes in this real life story are Jerry's parents who stood
by him all his life and let him become as independent as he could be. His sister, a distinguished scholar and
professor at Fort Hayes
State
Goodbye, Jerry, you were an inspiration for the rest of us. We'll be thinking of you at our 50th class reunion. You'll be missed. Thank you for all the hard work you did on the class reunion committee.
Thank you for reading.
I hope to see you next Sunday.