Jerry Shuck
June 28, 1938 – March 7, 2023
Jerry Shuck was born in Henderson, Kentucky on June 28, 1938 to his much-loved parents, Edward & Elizabeth Shuck (Sowards). He grew up with his older sister, Wanda Mills, who preceded him in death, and his younger brother, Gary Shuck, who resides in California with his wife, Dee, and their family.
A terminal diagnosis of esophagus cancer on February 11, 2023, led Jerry to say that he had lived a wonderful life and was ready to go once he had seen all three of his girls. After each daughter had spent a week with him, Jerry died peacefully on March 7, 2023 at the age of 84 surrounded by loved ones.
Jerry is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Patsy Sue Shuck, and his three daughters: Stacey Dasher (Chad), Amy Penn (Richard) and Becky Bittner (Gary, deceased). After raising three daughters, he was blessed to welcome five grandsons: Jacob Dasher (29), Nick Dasher (19), Will Dasher (16), Malachi Bittner (15), and Jeremy Luebke (11).
Jerry graduated from high school at the age of 16 and worked for several years at Whirlpool in Evansville, Indiana, in order to save up money for his college education at Western Kentucky University, which is where he met his wife, Pat. Jerry was “the catch of the campus” and caught Pat’s eye with his skinny, black tie. He went on to complete his master’s degree at San Jose State in California and his doctorate at The Ohio State University. The last 18 years of his career were spent as the Superintendent of Cuyahoga Valley Joint Vocational School in Brecksville, Ohio.
It was during this season that Jerry and Pat raised their three daughters in Strongsville, Ohio. As a family, they camped in their Airstream with friends and traveled across much of the United States. Pat’s mother, Josie Napier, was not a fan of Jerry when he married her daughter after only four months and moved her to California where he already had a job. It took years, but she eventually grew into a devoted mother-in-law and frequently travelled with them. On the occasion of each daughter’s 16th birthday, Jerry took a father-daughter trip to the destination of the daughter’s choice (New York City, Washington D.C. and Paris).
After all three daughters graduated from high school, and with Jerry’s retirement, came a move for Jerry and Pat to Georgetown, Kentucky where Jerry could be more hands on with his farmland in Cynthiana, Kentucky. After 3 years of retirement farming in Kentucky, the snow-free land of central Florida called Jerry and Pat south to the home where they have lived for the last 25 years. Jerry and Pat did lots of travelling in their Airstream trailer with friends to many places like New Orleans, Vermont, Alaska, and Newfoundland.
Jerry was an avid outdoorsman who loved fishing and hunting. He was also an amazing father, which explains how he lost so many fishing rods up in Canada where his girls learned how to fish and play poker. (Words of wisdom from Becky: “if Dad is betting, it’s time to fold”). He was a good ole country boy who loved to eat barbeque. At Jerry’s request, a small family memorial service will be held in June at his favorite restaurant, Moonlite Bar-B-Q, in Owensborough, Kentucky.
The family would like to thank the many friends and family members that have shared their sympathy and memories. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Morrison United Methodist Church in Leesburg, Florida where Jerry and Pat have been members since January 1998.
