Jerome "Jerry" David Countess

Memorial ID: 26245;

Password: 6S2X3.

Jerome D. “Jerry” Countess (and affectionately “Greatness” to his family), passed away on Thursday, March 18, 2020 at University Medical Center, Las Vegas, NV. He was proceeded in death by his son, Michael Countess; and his loving wife, Rachel Joy Countess. He is survived by his children, Jonathan (Julie) Countess and Jane (Richard Seda) Countess; grandchildren, Michael (Susan) Hoffman, Jessica (John Gormley) Countess, and Joshua (Kirsten Wong) Countess; great grandchildren Jocelyn, Nora and Lincoln; and countless friends. Jerry grew up in Brooklyn, New York, during the Great Depression. In his early teens, he visited the public library almost daily and became an avid reader and then an avid writer. He couldn’t afford to go to college with his friends, so to reconnect with them, he took a night course at Brooklyn College. That course introduced him to poetry and he fell in love with it. Just before the start of WW II, Jerry met Rachel Ganis, and he knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. In 1942 he enlisted in the army and was a “dogface” in the 1st Infantry Division and was a highly decorated combat veteran (2 Bronze Stars and a Silver Star) as the division crushed Rommel’s army in North Africa and invaded Sicily. He was transferred to II Corp and moved up the boot of Italy where he was in the thick of things as the Germans finally surrendered in 1945. The war did not deter Jerry from keeping in constant contact with Rachel. He wrote over 300 letters, many containing poetry, to her while in the field. The letters recounted the hardships, heartbreak and even humor of the war and of course, his undying love for her. Many of the letters were just poems. Poetry required less paper (which was in short supply) than prose. In fact, some of those poems were written on the only paper he had - - - toilet paper! In total, the letters are a revealing history of the life of a soldier. These letters were later the basis for his brilliant book, Letters from the Battlefield, In Love and War. After the war, in 1945, Jerry and Rachel were married. Jerry used the G.I. Bill to study writing at New York University while Rachel continued to be a nurse. They bought a house and together, Rachel and Jerry and three children, Jon, Michael and Jane. With no formal training, he started three successful businesses. Then, in 1968, he started a new chapter in his life and began a successful career with the United Jewish Appeal, first as a fundraiser, and then as an executive in their New York headquarters. This success led to him accepting a job as the Executive Director of the Las Vegas Jewish Federation. When Jerry came to Las Vegas from New York he changed everything at the Federation. Finally, The Federation had a clear direction. Jerry suggested new ways to do things and brought young people onto the board, reaching out to a diverse group of doctors, lawyers, business people, and women. Jerry instituted new programs and instilled a sense of energy, purpose and fun. Everybody’s opinion counted and everyone contributed. And he let those who did the work take credit for it. In short, he was a great leader. As a result, the Federation became more relevant and became more involved in the greater community. He made a difference. Jerry was an integral part of the extended family he gained by marrying Rachel. He loved hosting family dinners, especially at Thanksgiving with up to 50 family in attendance. Friends became family. He loved to entertain anyone who was in town. And he always had a martini ready before dinner. Their house was a gathering place and open to all. He also enjoyed traveling, gardening, and of course writing. If it was a weekend you would find him out in the backyard either planting, mowing, trimming or just hanging out by the pool with his wife enjoying life. After retiring from the Federation, Jerry pursued his passion for writing. He wrote novels, short stories and poetry. He has many fans who loved his stories and of course Letters from the Battlefield. Jerry and Rae traveled to Hawaii frequently, and to other parts of the Pacific and to Italy, where he was able to see the transformation of that country from the war ruins of his previous time there. He travelled to Russia for background for one of his books, and he made frequent trips to Israel as part of his work at the Federation. And of course, Jerry had a wonderful soul mate who had a life of her own. Rachel was a registered nurse, first with the army during the war then at a variety of hospitals until they moved to Las Vegas. Once in Las Vegas, Rae continued her nursing career, as she became a volunteer at area hospitals, racking up more than 10,000 hours of volunteer service. Rae and Jerry certainly deserve to be known as part of the Greatest Generation. A funeral service was held at King David Memorial Chapel and burial followed at Palm Valley View Cemetery. King David Memorial Chapel handled the arrangements.