Obituary of Jerry J. Maxwell

Jerry passed away January 25, 2019, at William Childs Hospice House in nearby Palm Bay, FL, surrounded by his loving family. He was born February 13, 1937 in Olney, IL, the son of the late Clay E. “Slim” and Mary M. (Mitchell) Maxwell. Jerry married Bonnie L. Stringer on June 12, 1958, at First Methodist Church in Olney, IL. In addition to his beloved wife of 60+ years, he is survived by two sons, Michael (Barbara) of Cape Coral, FL and Robert (Kathy) of Louisville, KY; two grandchildren, Jennifer Maxwell of Cape Coral, FL and Jessica Maxwell of Hodgenville, KY, and a great-grandchild Cadence A. Lee of Cape Coral, FL. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his only sibling D. Jack Maxwell. He was a lifelong member of the Methodist Church, actively participating in various projects in the church, as well as the Good Samaritan and Kiwanis Club. Jerry earned a Bachelor’s Degree and two Masters Degrees, and was a college professor of mathematics for many years. He retired from Olney Central College in 1991, and continued teaching Calculus at BCC in Cocoa, FL for an additional ten years. He encouraged young people to follow their heart when choosing a career, so they could actually look forward to going to work. He enjoyed sports his entire life. Growing up he played basketball and ran track, holding the High School record in the high hurdles. He played competitive tennis for years, and at one point was ranked #1 in Southern Illinois, in the 40 And Over age division. He also coached some tennis while at Olney Central College. His favorite hobbies in addition to sports, included going for coffee with friends, rocking constantly in his favorite chair, reading, sculpting in clay, genealogy; and he even wrote some books. A special Thank You to Dr. Ruddy Ruiz and the staff at Health First Hospice, to Jerry’s wonderful caregivers at Zion ALF and at William Childs Hospice House. Family, friends and neighbors have been instrumental during this process, and we thank them for all their love and support during this difficult time. God is merciful. Jerry’s Memorial Service will be at 2 pm on Tuesday, May 28th, in the Chapel at Buena Vida Estates on West New Haven Avenue (Rte 192) in West Melbourne, FL. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial contribution to the William Childs Hospice House, Grace United Methodist Church Food Pantry in Merritt Island, the Good Samaritan in Olney, IL or your favorite charity.