 - Unknown
-
| Name |
Sanders, Laverne [1] |
| Gender |
Female |
| Died |
Unknown |
| Person ID |
I77936 |
Sackett |
| Last Modified |
10 Feb 2023 |
-
| Sources |
- [S958] Legacy, (Legacy.com) (Reliability: 3), 9 Feb 2023.
Jerry Brownlee
July 17, 1931 - July 28, 2022
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/dfw/name/jerry-brownlee-obituary?id=36206898
Stephenville, Texas - On Thursday, July 28, 2022, Jerry L. Brownlee, devoted husband and father of four, passed away at the age of ninety-one. Son of Laverne Sanders and William Oscar Brownlee, Jerry was born and raised with his two brothers in Lawrence, Kansas. The families of both Laverne and Oscar came from first generation Kansas homesteaders; the value of education and hard work were inescapably instilled in him. For example, for a couple of summers, Laverne dropped her boys at 5 a.m. at the courthouse lawn where the common laborers gathered to be hired to pick potatoes in the Kaw River valley. The brothers would work until dusk each day, competing with others for the best row of potatoes, receiving pay based on the volume of potatoes bagged. Jerry loved playing football and especially basketball during junior high and high school, and continued playing basketball on the Freshman Team at Kansas University. He then played intramural basketball on behalf of the Alpha Nu Chapter of Beta Theta Pi (the "Betas"), where one of his fraternity brothers was also brother to Jerry's future bride, Marjorie Gayl Woodson. During college summers, Jerry worked in West Coast canneries with his brother Alden and friends and also spend a summer as a cub newspaper photographer and reporter. Jerry served as President of the Betas' Alpha Nu Chapter during his senior year at K.U. and also was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He then was accepted to the K.U. City Management Training Program, graduating in 1956 with a Master of Public Administration, and landing a plum job as an intern with the Kansas City Research and Budget Department (R&B) under the legendary city manager, L.P. Cookingham, at a salary of $254/mo. In his second year of grad school, his Beta brother Don Woodson sent him on a blind date after the K.U. Homecoming game with Marjorie which resulted in their engagement by Christmas, a Spring "pinning" and marriage in June 1955. At age 26, Jerry Brownlee became Kansas City's R&B department head and then, in 1959, when L.P. Cookingham became City Manager of Fort Worth, TX, he asked Jerry to become his Assistant. Jerry and Marge packed their car with 3-year-old Laura and 1 year-old Mike and headed south. By 1963, when Jerry was chosen to be City Manager of Fort Worth at the age of 31, he and Marge had two more children, Susan (1960) and John (1963). During Jerry's service as City Manager, Fort Worth won the All American City award (1965) and Jerry was chosen as "Young Man of the Year" by the Fort Worth Junior Chamber of Commerce and then as one of five Outstanding Young Texans by the State Junior Chamber of Commerce (1963). In 1968 he was recruited by Kimbell, Inc. to begin his business career in the grocery business. He became President of Buddies Supermarkets, Inc. and Executive V.P. of Kimbell, Inc. Looking for new challenges, he joined Justin Industries, Inc. in 1973 as President and Chief Operating Officer. Jerry served on numerous boards and in public positions during his business career, including as an Elder, Chmn. of the Board of Deacons and Superintendent of the High School Department of First Presbyterian Church, Regent on Texas Women's University Board of Regents, Board of Directors (BOD) of Goodwill Industries of Fort Worth, Chmn. of Horned Frog District and Member of Executive Board of Longhorn Council of Boy Scouts of America, BOD of Metropolitan YMCA of Fort Worth, V.P. of the Rotary Club of Fort Worth, BOD of Carter Blood Center, BOD of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, Trustee of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, BOD of the International City Managers Association Retirement Corporation, Trustee of Austin College, Vice Chmn. of the Texas Water Quality Board, Board of Governors of Cumberland Rest, Inc., Marketing Committee for the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Board of Trustees of Harris Methodist Health System and Chmn. of its BOD, member of LBJ's Advisory Committee for the "War on Poverty," BOD and Chmn. of the Audit Committee of Southland Royalty Company, BOD of First United Bancorporation, Inc., and Board of Governors, Fort Worth Club. Andâ?"he was an Honorary Admiral in the Texas Navy! At the same time, Jerry was an enthusiastic fan of his sons' basketball careers, wrapping their sprained ankles, coaching them on how to handle interviews with news reporters and enthusiastically cheering their wins, including the University of North Carolina's 1982 Final Four victory while John played with the team. He loved ranching, photography and horseback riding with the Roundup Riders of the Rockies every summer for 28 years. After leaving Justin Industries in 1982, Jerry became an entrepreneur and organized three banks in the Fort Worth area and consulted for Harris Methodist Health System (Harris). In 1989, Jerry's long association with Harris changed as he became one of several Executive Vice Presidents. He trouble-shooted on many parts of the Harris portfolio and spearheaded the successful establishment of home health care programs in Hungary and Slovakia at a time when hospital facilities there were woefully inadequate. This effort was recognized in 1994 when Harris received the Global Missions Award from the Board of Missions of the United Methodist Church. In 1998, Jerry "retired" to become a full-time rancher in Johnson and then Erath Counties. Jerry is survived by his wife of 67 years, Marjorie Woodson Brownlee, who he said "makes my world go round," his children Laura (Ray) Brainard, Susan (James) Miller and John Brownlee, his grandchildren Colin (Kristin) Brainard, Rebecca Brainard, Alex (Melissa) Brainard, Katherine Miller, Oscar (Charis) Miller, Ethan Brownlee, Georgina Brownlee and Heather Brownlee, three great-grandchildren, his sisters-in-law, Sue Brownlee (Jim) Duncan and Barbara Brownlee, and his nieces and nephews. Jerry was pre-deceased by his brothers, Alden and William Brownlee, his son, Jerald Brownlee and his grandson, Benjamin Brownlee. A private Memorial Service will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth. In lieu of flowers, those sharing an expression of sympathy are asked to consider a donation to the Ben Brownlee Memorial Fund in memory of Jerry Brownlee, loving Grandfather. (www.benbrownleememorialfund.com).
Published by Star-Telegram on Aug. 14, 2022.
Researched by Ted Smith
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