Jerry Clifton Waldroup (Pa), 86

Jerry Clifton Waldroup (Pa) age 86 passed away Friday, October 14, 2022, in Nashville, TN.

Jerry is preceded in death by his parents William Thomas Waldroup and Mary Jo Waldroup, wife Kathleen V. Waldroup, son Clifton Thomas Waldroup, daughters Eva Yvonne McMahan, Donna Nehmens-Lady, and Karen Ann Faulkner; sisters Mary Dell Waldroup Townsend and Ruth E. Waldroup Tinnel and brothers Park and Billy Waldroup.

His survivors include his brothers, Wayne, James Michael, and Cecil Waldroup; grandchildren Jerry Kathleen (Randy) Barger, Michelle (Brad) Wages, Melissa (Cory) Persinger, and John (Christie) McMahon. He is also survived by his great-grandchildren, Connor Williams, Candace Pope, Thomas, and Jacob Fernandez, Corissa, Jude and Ellis Persinger, Bradley and Madilynn Harper McMahon, Special Friend Elizabeth Collins, his furry companion Emily Sue Waldroup and a host of nieces and nephews who loved him dearly.

Jerry had a career in the Navy Air Force that took him on flights over both poles, all six continents, and the seven seas. Many were ice reconnaissance flights. While stationed in the Mediterranean, one of his unit’s missions was to fly the reigning Miss America to her various engagements to entertain American troops in that part of the world. He served alongside with his brother Wayne and the stories they have told show that Jerry lived a full life. Jerry retired from the Navy after 22 years, 1 month, 6 days, 45 minutes and 3 seconds. He then began a second career with Nissan where he was known as the Limo Man. He focused on ways to make other people’s jobs easier to help minimize lifting, stretching, bending, and walking. He helped streamline production from one end of the plant to the others. Jerry was asked to observe certain jobs on the line and to devise ways to make them easier, more efficient, safer, and less stressful from an ergonomic standpoint. Jerry retired after 15 years of service with Nissan, and he was remembered as a reliable, diligent, and helpful worker.

After his retirement, Jerry focused almost all of his time on his annual family reunion at Westpoint Lake in Georgia. At the reunion, there would be anywhere from 60 to 130 people who enjoyed camping, boating, skiing, and enjoying the fellowship with family members. The reunions began in 1988 and continued through just a few years ago. He would bring boats, tents, and skiing equipment for all to use and he even bought and remodeled two school buses to provide storage and sleeping accommodations for anyone who needed a place to lay their heads. It didn’t matter how or if you were related to him, all of the kids affectionally referred to him as Pa and that continued up to his last day. The reunion was his summer highlight but to him, that wasn’t just a two-week event for him. Before he left the reunion, he was already planning for the next one and he would work all year long planning and improving on everything related to the reunion. One of his favorite things to do was to teach kids and adults to ski. If he found out anyone didn’t know how to ski, he would stay out there all day if needed to make sure they got up on the skis. The highlight of the reunion would be his “Big Pull” where anywhere from 16 to 18 people would ski together at one time behind one boat.

Jerry was a man of many talents. He gained great joy in making wooden tables, bowls, keepsake boxes as well as making his own pencils and pen sets from either wood, deer horns, or whatever material he could find that he felt challenged to make a pen with. He shared many of his beautiful creations with people he met. Didn’t matter if they were the cashier at the grocery store, or his relatives and friends.
He was just so happy to put a smile on someone’s face. He will be greatly missed by all of his friends and family members.

Jerry’s funeral service will be at 12:00 noon, Friday, October 21, 2022, in the Kyker Chapel located at 350 W. Race Street in Kingston TN with Rev. Paul Lloyd officiating. The family will receive friends from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon and following the service he will be laid to rest at the Bethel Fairview Cemetery with full military honors. If you are able to attend and was blessed to receive any of his woodworking creations, Jerry specifically asked that you bring to his service to display his beautiful craftsmanship. Kyker Funeral Home of Kingston is serving the Waldroup Family.

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