Jerome D. Salazar, beloved brother and friend, passed away unexpectedly August 26, 2019 at the age of 56. Jerome was born in Austin, Texas on April 23, 1963. He is preceded in death by his parents, John R. Salazar, Sr., and Janie D. Salazar, and his sweet dog, Buddy.
Jerome is survived by his brothers, John D. Salazar, Jr., his wife Rosemary, their daughters Leticia Salazar and her daughter Sara, Myra Ochoa, husband Jason Ochoa and their son Jaxon; Julian Salazar, his wife Sylvia, and his sons Julian Jr., and Joseph; sisters, Julia Salazar, Juliana Salazar, Jane Rose Balagia, her husband Jefferson, and their children, Jessica and Jonathan; sister, Jacinta Salazar and her partner Lex Greenwood, and sister, Jessica Fisher, husband Saal Fisher, and several other nieces and nephews.
Jerome graduated from The University of Texas at Austin and went on to obtain his Master’s degree in Education, specializing in Counseling from Texas State University in May 1993. He then began a 17- year career in counseling with a focus in working with at risk youth for Junior Helping Hand, Austin Children’s Shelter, Hill Country Youth Ranch in Ingram, Texas, and also San Marcos Treatment Center. Jerome also spent nine years working for MHN Inc., as a contracted Counselor where he was stationed at various military bases counseling troops and their families. His longest assignment working with military families was for a period of five years in South Korea, specifically at Kunsan Air Force Base, Osan Air Force Base, and Camp Humphreys Air Force Base to name a few. Jerome returned to the United States and his family in August of 2018. He began working for Optum/United Healthcare Group in San Antonio as an Employee Assistance Counselor in December, 2018.
We will celebrate and remember Jerome as a generous and kind soul who was adored by his family and well respected by his colleagues. He was a man of integrity and ethics who took seriously the wonderful example set by his parents of what it meant to work hard and be responsible. He cared deeply about the welfare of others and this was evident in the work he chose as his life’s calling. Jerome loved working with his clients and had a special gift for working with abused children and at risk youth.
He was truly a giver and loved his family deeply. There was never anything he wasn’t willing to do to be supportive whenever and wherever he could. Jerome was always there for us to lend an ear or a shoulder to cry on and always followed up to see how we were doing. He was the logical one in the bunch of us and he possessed the positivity and good vibes we sometimes longed to have on a more consistent basis. We are all feeling a bit lost without him now.
Jerome loved music, especially classic rock. Some of his favorites were Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks, Eric Clapton and Tom Petty. He absolutely loved Black’s barbeque and holiday dinners, especially when it involved a family gathering. During his South Korean assignment, he enjoyed experimenting with Korean cuisine and was looking forward to the opportunity to share his favorite dishes with his family. He loved sports, especially The University of Texas Longhorns, the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Cowboys.
Some of Jerome’s friends and colleagues have reached out to the family to express their condolences and the theme of their sentiments was quite similar; Jerome was one of a kind, a friend and colleague who showed kindness to everyone and his generosity will be remembered.
Farewell our dearest brother, Jerome. You were one of the good guys who has left this physical space we shared, but your spirit and coolness will live on forever in our hearts. Our hearts are broken because you left us way too soon. We love you more than we can say and will forever miss you. Our hearts are aching now for just one more hug, one more conversation and one more smile. Instead, we will do our best to honor you by emulating your generosity and kind spirit in whatever capacity we can.
In lieu of flowers, we know Jerome would have appreciated a donation to Hill Country Youth Ranch in Ingram, Texas. Hill Country Youth Ranch was established in 1977 to provide long-term therapeutic care for abused and orphaned children at all levels of trauma and need. In addition, Silver and Black Give Back is the official non-profit of Spurs Sports & Entertainment. “Silver and Black Give Back strives to inspire and invest in the youth of the San Antonio area to be civically minded leaders through services, sports, and grants.”
A celebration of his life will be at 10:00 am Saturday, September 7, 2019, Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home South.
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