Jerry Thomas Obituary, Death – Jerry Thomas, 79, of Mt. Vernon died away on Tuesday, September 27, 2022, at his home in Mt. Vernon, Indiana. He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to the late Catherine and Paul Thomas. Jerry’s family moved from Minneapolis to Summit, New Jersey in his early childhood, where he graduated high school. In 1965, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University.
Jerry rowed for Purdue for four years and also competed in the National Regatta with a four-oared shell from the Detroit Boat Club. He joined Purdue’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and eventually became an officer in the United States Army Reserve. Charlotte Jensen, a native of Mt. Vernon, Indiana, is the love of his life and his spiritual partner. They met while he was completing his Master of Science in Industrial Administration. They tied the knot on a Tuesday in June of 1966, just two days after Charlotte’s graduation, and have spent the past fifty-six years of their lives together in the same little town.
Upon graduating from college in August 1966, Jerry began his professional career as a Development Engineer in Production Engineering Operations at the brand-new General Electric Lexan facility in Mt. Vernon. Jerry’s ROTC commitment resulted in a one-year tour of duty as a company commander in the Army Corps of Engineers building schools and bridges in the Mekong Delta south of Saigon during the peak of the Vietnam war including the Tet Offensive fighting, plus two years of stateside service. He returned to Mt. Vernon in 1970 as a process engineer in the Extrusion Operations at the GE facility.
He became a manager of packaging and warehouse services in December 1971 and went on to have managerial positions in Extrusion, LEXAN packaging, BPA, Resin, Phosgene, and Utilities before to retiring in 2002. A regular Sunday lector and founder of the Men’s Club at St. Matthew’s Church in Mt. Vernon, he also received the Simon Brute award for exemplifying Christian stewardship throughout his life. His community and leadership accomplishments included Junior Achievement, the young soccer program in Mt. Vernon, the American Legion, Western Hills Country Club, the Purdue Presidential Council, and the Elfun Society.
He was a sports enthusiast usually attending the children and grandchildren games, and loved to watch the teams at Purdue, USI, and the Colts. He had a long-standing bridge club whose company he valued and enjoyed traveling and swimming. His three children were the source of the greatest joy in his life since they were the recipients of his daily knowledge and wit as he nurtured them through their emotional, intellectual, and spiritual development.