- Date Of Birth: January 6, 1938
- Date Of Death: July 28, 2018
- State: Colorado
Jerry Edmen Parks (80 years) passed away on Saturday, July 28, 2018, surrounded by family in Colorado Springs. Jerry was born in Pisgah, Iowa on January 6, 1938, to Lulu & Orville Parks. As a young child, the family moved to South Omaha, Nebraska where he graduated from South High School. After high school, Jerry worked for a short time reading prints before joining the Air Force. Jerry spent 20 years in the military serving in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He was stationed in California where he met his first wife and had his only son Larry. He retired from Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs in 1977, where he remained a resident.
While teaching machining at Pikes Peak Community College, he met the love of his life, Mary Sanders. They moved with Aero Engineering to Largo, Florida, where they spent several idyllic years before moving home to South Omaha to help care for his aging mother. While in Omaha, he worked for T & D Custom Machine Shop as a valued Machinist. He was a member of Bee Hive Lodge #184 in Omaha and served as a Worshipful Master in 1994. He was a member of The Free Masons for 35 years.
Jerry was a natural conversationalist and would share his political views with anyone who cared to engage. He was a lifetime member of the NRA and a gun collector. He enjoyed rebuilding rifles and reloading munitions. Mary and Jerry enjoyed spending time outdoors bird watching, feeding squirrels and groundhogs and growing vegetables. Together they supported several community charities such as Project Linus and The Humane Society. Mary and Jerry were true soulmates and are an inspiration of true love. After being diagnosed with liver cancer in December 2017, he moved to Colorado Springs, CO to be with family.
Jerry is preceded in death by his parents Orville & Lulu, his brother Terry, sister Ruth (Thompson), son Lawrence Edmen Parks and his soulmate Mary Sanders.
He is survived by his step-daughter Donna Miller, daughter-in-law Johnna Parks; Grandchildren Ellis (Melody) Parks, Kelly (Kenneth) Baines, Stephanie (Blake) Adams, and Elizabeth (Michael) Taylor. Jerry was also blessed with three great-grandchildren.
