Jerry was born May 9, 1941 in Des Moines, Iowa. His parents were the late Glen and Ruth Whitlock. He passed away July 12, 2012 at Lower Cape Fear Hospice & LifeCareCenter after a brief illness. Special thanks are extended to the entire Hospice team both home care and the Care Center for their loving care and support.
Jerry is survived by his devoted wife of almost 40 years, Pam; brother Charles (Ann) of Roxboro, NC; son Corey (Angela) of Raleigh, NC; son Jeffrey (Debra) of High Point, NC; daughter Tracy (David Silber) of Raleigh, NC; his mother-in-law June Bostick of Seaford, DE; and five beautiful, handsome and intelligent grandchildren – Christopher Silber, Michael Silber, Jeffrey Whitlock, Abby Grossen and Jordan Whitlock.
Jerry was a graduate of Theodore Roosevelt High School in Des Moines, Iowa, class of 1959. He went on to graduate from Iowa State University with an Industrial Engineering degree in 1963. While there he was a brother in Theta Delta Chi fraternity where he made many lifelong friends. Iowa State was also where he honed his cooking skills while working his way through school in a popular restaurant in Ames. After graduation, he joined the DuPont Company in their Synthetic Fibers Manufacturing Division at the nylon plant in Seaford, DE. While in Seaford, Jerry was an active member of the Power Squadron, participating in several navigational contests and rising to a leadership role. In 1972 he transferred to the Cape Fear Dacron® polyester manufacturing site in Wilmington, NC.
After a thirty year career, Jerry retired to enjoy 19 years of pursuing his interests in fishing and boating, tennis, wood crafting, gardening, vacation planning and traveling. He gave back to the community through volunteering at Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard and the Food Bank for several years. He firmly believed that living is all about winning with joy and humility and about losing with learning and bravery.
The family will receive friends from 2:00 – 3:00 pm, Wednesday, July 18, 2012 at Wilmington Funeral Chapel with a celebration of Jerry’s life beginning at 3:00 pm.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Lower Cape Fear Hospice, 1414 Physician’s Drive, Wilmington, NC or to an organization of your choice.
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Wilmington Funeral and Cremation, 1535 S. 41st Street, Wilmington, NC 28403 910.791.9099
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