Jerry Stripling

It is with a heavy heart that Texas City has to publish the news of the tragic loss of Jerry Lee Stripling. Jerry was 65 years old.

He was member in good standing of La Marque Masonic Lodge 1325, Texas City Eastern Star Chapter 626, and held a 20 year AA chip. He attended Texas City AA 518, and was a Christian in heart, mind, and deed. Jerry opened his home to recovering alcoholics and sponsored Hope on 29th from 1996 to 2002. Jerry helped many persons in the Texas City area along the road to recovery from the top of the local social ladder to the bottom and back again. Jerry was a master carpenter and master roofer. He enjoyed working with his hands and loved the smell of freshly cut wood. A man of many talents, he could build a home from the ground up. He was a building contractor and owned his own business, Any Home Repair, for several years.

Jerry suffered a severe injury in 1991 when a drunk driver ran a red light on 21st street in Texas City and hit the drivers door on the car Jerry was driving. The impact broke Jerrys back. Reconstruction surgery made him an inch taller but he was in a back brace and in constant pain from that moment on. In 2005 he was treated for cancer of the mouth and then had to be fed by peg tube. In 2009 he contracted West Nile virus which put him a coma and left him with brain damage and distressing confusion. Being semibedridden, Jerrys bones became weak brittle and prone to fractures, which resulted in even more pain. Because of swallowing problems, Jerry experienced multiple hospitalizations for aspiration pneumonia with sepsis.

Each near death experience reassured him of life after death and confirmed the warm, peaceful feeling he had in his youth when he drown and died but was brought back to tell to tale You Have Nothing To Fear.

Jerry died at home under the care of American Hospice and Dr. Robin Armstrong of IPC of Texas. He drew his last breath while in the arms of his loyal wife and caregiver, Marilee.

Jerry is proceeded in death by his brother, Marvin Dean Stripling his dad, Henry Laynewitte Stripling mother, Dorothy Ardelphia Williams Stripling brotherinlaw, Charles Houston Moore best friend, Wayne Travis Evans and fatherinlaw hunting buddy, Pryor Dore Parks.

He is survived by his loving wife Marilee Dwynell Parks Stripling his motherinlaw OES sister, Marian Sunshine Dwynell McBurnett Parks of Texas City his sister, Medora Ann Stripling Moore of Alabama younger brother, Jimmy Carrol Stripling of Galveston daughter, Charlotte Gayl Stripling Phillips of AR grandson, Robert Lee Messenger of AR grandson, James Henry Bowie of AR and greatgrandchildren, Jasmine Nicole Messenger age 7, Robert Aiden Messenger age 5, and Rilyn Andrew Messenger age 2 all of AR. Jerry is also survived by a huge extended family mostly in Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, and Michigan. He is also survived by his Masonic family, his AA family, his Bay Area Bluegrass Association family, and many, many friends.

Memorial services will be conducted under the direction of EmkenLinton Funeral Home located at 5100 Emmett F. Lowry Expressway in Texas City at 7:00 PM on Thursday, March 15, 2012.

You are invited to sign the online guest book provided by EmkenLinton at www.emkenlinton.com.

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