Jerry Lendon Winfrey, 75, passed away at his home in Smithville, on Tuesday, Jan. 9 of an apparent heart attack. A graveside memorial service will be held Feb. 18 at Whorton Springs Cemetery at 1:30 p.m. Bro. Mark Pafford will officiate.
A native of DeKalb County, he was born Feb. 10, 1942 to the late Lucas and Ruth Moss Winfrey. Mr. Winfrey obtained an associate in arts degree from Cumberland University in 1962 and studied at Austin Peay State College where he received a BS degree in 1964 and a Master of Arts in Education in 1965. In addition, Jerry had one year of advanced studies beyond the Master degree, some of which included several visits to South America with special emphasis on Ecuador and Peru.
Jerry’s professional career focused on teaching at the elementary level, all of which was in the DeKalb County School System except for one semester in the Hampton City School System, in Hampton, VA in 1966. After teaching many fourth-grade students over his 32 years of service, Mr. Winfrey retired May 22, 1999.
Jerry loved teaching, but he also enjoyed several other activities including collecting antiques and glassware, conducting research on family history with special emphasis on the Winfrey and Moss families, researching and documenting the history of the First United Methodist Church in Smithville, and discussing or debating political issues. He was a member of the Smithville First United Methodist Church but also attended the Unitarian Universalist Church in Cookeville with his friend and former vicar, Rev. Mark Pafford.
He was preceded in death by his parents, grandparents (Sidney Brooks and Era Driver Winfrey and Charlie Lee and Ada Foster Moss), aunts and uncles. He is survived by several cousins and many special friends. Jerry’s wishes were to be cremated.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to either the Justin Potter Library (particularly the Genealogy Room) or the Smithville First Methodist Church Building Fund in memory of Mr. Winfrey.
DeKalb Funeral Chapel, Smithville, is in charge of the arrangements.