On January 9th, Jerome “Jerry” Martin, 82, passed away peacefully with his wife, Sue, by his side. Jerry cherished his family and he shined brightest when in their presence. A lifelong Memphian, Jerry was a star fullback for Central High School. He was heavily recruited by Ole Miss, and from then was a diehard fan of the Rebs. He delighted in taking credit for his granddaughter, Paige, attending Ole Miss, clearly the direct result of his whispering “Ole Miss” in her ear as a baby and giving her Ole Miss gifts and toys in her early years. He loved sailing, fishing, and reading. Jerry relished the challenge of the golf course and his success at the game. Before retiring in 2018, Jerry worked as a furniture manufacturer's representative, covering Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Hermie and John Martin, by his brother John Martin Jr. (Tish) of Atlanta, GA, and by one grandchild, Andrew Thompson. Jerry is survived by his wife of 40 years, Sue Stringer Martin, his daughters Pamela P. Shumake (Dan), Suzanne Padgett, and Elizabeth Bringle (Michael). He dearly loved his grandchildren Rachel Thompson Copp, Ashley Thompson, Paige Patteson, Liz Shumake, Daniel Shumake Jr., and Stafford Shumake. They will miss their Big Da.
Jerry’s prowess on the gridiron and the golf course was legendary, and so his family requests any donations be given in his name to Memphis Athletic Ministries (https://mamsports.org), so that children in the Memphis community can gain exposure to the positive impact that athletics can have in their own lives. The GoFundMe site can be found here - https://gofund.me/7f7aa7e0.
Services will be Saturday, January 14, at 10:00 a.m. , Memphis Funeral Home, 5599 Poplar Avenue, Memphis. Collierville Funeral Home has been entrusted with services.
