Julian, known to most of us as Jerry, was born on June 23rd, 1920 in Los Angeles and died January 24th, 2013 in Santa Barbara at the age of 92.
He graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach CA on June 15th, 1938 and attended Long Beach Junior College, graduating in June 1941.
Serving his country, Jerry was inducted into the Army on December 31, 1941. He served in the Asia Pacific Theatre and was part of the Philippine Liberation Forces.
As many of his generation, after his discharge in 1945 and upon his return home, Jerry attended UCSB on the GI Bill and was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in Industrial Arts on January 27, 1949.
Throughout the 50’s Jerry taught Industrial Arts at various area high schools. In 1957, he earned his Masters of Education from USC.
Until his retirement, Jerry taught industrial arts at Juvenile Hall. His face would light up and his eyes would twinkle to admit he taught at “Juvie”! He touched many lives and perhaps in the wood-working he taught, gave some of those students a skill and a chance at a new life once they were no longer incarcerated.
Circa 1975, Jerry went to work for Ron Lance at Learned Hardware. In addition, in his retirement, Jerry enjoyed singing barber shop harmony and was a member of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America. He was also a lifetime member of the Santa Barbara and Carpinteria Masonic Lodges.
Jerry married Ellen Marie Ferris on March 26th, 1993 and together they enjoyed McKenzie Park Lawn Bowls Club, and square dancing with B’s and B’s, Fairs and Squares and Paws and Taws, where Jerry said he really enjoyed “stacking the wood”. That’s square dance lingo for “hugs”.
Jerry and Ellen enjoyed travel and experienced wonderful trips to such faraway places as Antarctica, the Galapagos Islands and in December 1999 to Greenland, the first place to greet the new millennium on January 1, 2000.
After Jerry and Ellen moved to Valle Verde, Jerry became actively involved in Nit Wits, knitters who made, among other things, caps for local premature babies, Reader’s Theatre and in the shop he made wooden toys that were donated at Christmastime to benefit children in Santa Barbara. Anyone who walks the campus of Valle Verde no doubt has observed the trees that are all identified thanks to Jerry’s handiwork.
Jerry was preceded in death by wives Pearl Mullenary Voorhees and Louise McDermott Voorhees. Jerry is survived by his step children, Kate Jackson, Jo Ellen Winder, Charles McDermott, Kate McDermott, six step grandchildren, three step great grandchildren, a large extended family and many, many dear friends.
A celebration of Jerry’s life was held at Valle Verde on Thursday, January 31, 2013.
Arrangements By McDermott-Crockett Mortuary.
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