Jerry Howard

ELKO – Earnest Gerald “Jerry” Howard, 83, passed away on Saturday, May 24, 2025. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. at Watson-Hunt Funeral Home in Perry. Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Haynesville. Interment will be in Woodlawn Cemetery in Perry immediately following the service. Flowers will be gratefully accepted, or contributions may be made to Jay’s HOPE Childhood Cancer Foundation in honor of his great-granddaughter, Clarissa Abbott, who won the battle and is now cancer free. Jay’s HOPE’s address is 1157B Forsyth Street, Macon, GA 31201.

Jerry was born in Peach County to the late Wade and Lucile Shirah Howard. He was a 1959 graduate of Perry High School. Jerry accepted a position with the Georgia Forestry Commission at an early age and retired as a Senior Forest Ranger after over thirty years of service. His training in forestry led him to continuous protection of his own property where he regularly enjoyed burning firebreaks.

While simultaneously working, Jerry gave up one weekend every month and proudly served his country in the U. S. Army National Guard. He retired as a Master Sergeant after thirty-two years of service. During Desert Storm, Jerry’s platoon was changed to Active Duty and subjected to additional training in preparation to do be deployed overseas, but they never were activated to go.

Upon Jerry’s retirement, he and Patricia decided to go back to school to further their education. Jerry attended Central Georgia Technical College in Macon, while his wife, Patricia, attended Middle Georgia College in Macon at the same time. The couple would meet for lunch or dinner during class breaks, then discuss their individual studies at home each night. After Jerry graduated with honors and received an Associate’s Degree, the school invited him to teach Carpentry classes, which he did for nearly ten years.

Jerry and his wife spent a lot of time together, camping, traveling, and visiting all fifty states in America. It was obvious that Jerry loved spending time with his family, taking his children and/or grandchildren with them on many of those trips. Through the years, he enjoyed grilling for family and friends and cooking open pit barbecue, of which he became a master.

Jerry was preceded in death by his parents and his brothers, Milton Howard and Raymond Howard.

Left to cherish the memories they made with Jerry are his loving and devoted wife of sixty-three years, Patricia Meadows Howard; his daughter and son-in-law, Lori and Michael Anderson; his son and daughter-in-law, Mike and Lori Wills Howard; his grandchildren, Dustin Abbott, Brent Abbott (CJ), Brittany Noles (Jimmy), Michael Howard, and Amanda Kirkland (Jeff); his great-grandchildren, Billy Howard, Clarissa Abbott, and Luke Kirkland; and several nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

Condolences for the family may be left in the online guestbook at www.watsonhunt.com. Watson-Hunt Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements.