Jerry Gordon Alston, Ph.D., passed away on March 16, 2024, with his family beside him. He is survived by his wife, Nancy Lanier Alston, his daughter Leslie Alston (Michael Zenker), son Kenneth Alston (Amy Fierstein), his beloved and brilliant granddaughters who can do no wrong, Caroline and Liv Alston.
Jerry was born on November 12, 1937, and grew up in South Fulton, TN. The Alstons had deep roots along the Mississippi River and, allegedly, were engaged in river boat gambling and other colorful forms of commerce at the turn of the 20th century.
Jerry excelled academically and athletically in high school and was the first member of his family to attend college where he chose Murray State University in Kentucky. While at Murray, he enlisted in ROTC. One day while playing in the snow with his friends, an errant snowball thrown by Jerry hit a young woman and he walked over to apologize. That student was Nancy Alston and they were together for over 65 years.
After graduating from college and obtaining a master’s degree in history, Jerry served three years as an officer in the United States Army and was deployed to Korea as a tank commander on the Demilitarized Zone, where extensive tank maneuvers were a constant activity. After Korea, Jerry taught tank strategies and tactics at the U.S. Army Armor School. Up until his last days, Jerry always wore his jump wings on his blazer lapels.
After military service, Jerry completed his doctorate in psychology at Southern Illinois University. Jerry needed to pass French and Spanish proficiency tests to earn his Ph.D., a fact he never let you forget, even in his eighties. While life was a whirlwind of new towns and new jobs, Newport Beach, CA, was Jerry and Nancy’s final destination where they have lived for 37 years.
Jerry’s family is forever grateful to Jerry’s dear and beloved friends Nancy Pineda, who helped care for him, and Toni Trost, his Eucharistic Minister.
Jerry had many skills and too many hobbies to name, but it was his positivity and love of life and family that stand out. He never met anyone who was not a friend, and he was always ready with a kind word, a hug, or a surprising new nickname you didn’t know you needed.
Jerry’s favorite pastimes were spending time with his family, playing tennis until he physically could not anymore and reading, especially books about American History, World War II, and the Cold War. When he could no longer play tennis, he loved to watch it on television, and every tournament was important. Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic, he was always looking out for you. Ever the cinephile, Jerry was excellent at stealing and rewriting phrases from his favorite movies, including The Godfather, Tombstone, Platoon, The Breakfast Club, and all Audie Murphy movies. Yes, Jerry, wine will be made available.
There will be a private ceremony and burial with the family. A celebration of life will take place on a separate date.
If you would like to honor Jerry, donations can be made to:
Tunnel to Towers Foundation and their support for veterans.
https://t2t.org/9-11-institute/
Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church https://www.olqa.org/index.cfm?template=53
Harbor Day School, known for hosting the best Grandparent’s Day ever
https://harborday.myschoolapp.com/page/support/donate-online?siteId=1092&ssl=1
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