Jerome "Jerry" Woolf

Jerry is survived by his family in California. Survivors include his son Reagan and his wife Joanne, grandchildren Saida (10) and Warren (4) of Tehachapi, CA, his sister Sylvia and her husband Arnold Ambrosini of Palo Alto, CA and their family. Jerry was preceded in death by his parents, Saida and Irving Woolf of Berkeley, CA.

Jerry was fortunate to have a small group of loyal friends who visited with him and were always there to help him out when he needed them. Friends include close friend and fellow aviator Ted Griffin, long-time family friend Bob Cameron, and Jerry's ex-wife, Pat Woolf.

As a young man, Jerry lived life to the fullest; riding across Northern California on his motorcycle, camping under the stars in Yosemite Valley, boating at Lake Tahoe, and cruising around in his convertible.

Jerry was an aircraft mechanic, a flight engineer, and a private pilot. He had a long career in aviation beginning after WWII, when he joined the Air National Guard, and ending in 2002, when he worked for an air cargo company training other flight engineers, until his deteriorating health condition forced him to retire.

An avid reader of non-fiction, a sports enthusiast, and a world traveler, Jerry loved to tell stories about his glory days. During his career, besides flying within the continental U.S., Jerry flew troops and air freight to places like Vietnam (during the Vietnam War) and Saudi Arabia (during the Gulf War), never forgetting to bring his son back stamps or coins from far away places. He was awarded a commendation medal from the Department of Defense for his work during the Gulf War. Jerry's passion for aviation inspired those around him, including his son Reagan, who works as a flight test engineer for the United States Air Force. Their almost daily talks often involved airplanes and the new technological advances in the aviation field.

Condolences may be directed to the D'Elia Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that friends please consider a memorial donation in Jerry's honor to the American Diabetes Association. Donations can be made by calling 1800-diabetes.