Jerry E. Todd Sr.

1948 - 2022

Jerry E. Todd Sr.



Jerry Earnest Todd was born on July 24, 1948, in Alice, Texas, to Sam and Irene Todd. As a young man, Jerry was active in his church and enjoyed working as a paperboy to pay for flight lessons needed to obtain his commercial pilot license. While attending Alice High School, he earned his single-engine pilot licenses and later gained his multi-engine commercial and flight instructor pilot licenses. After attending Texas A&I University, he began his lengthy career with the Federal Government. He enlisted in the Army, choosing to serve a tour in the Vietnam war. Before leaving for his tour, he married his wife Shirley in July 1968. He served as a gunner in Vietnam on Huey helicopters due to his previous flight experience. After being released from the Army, he moved to Garland, Texas, where he worked as a bus driver. In 1970, Jerry moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and began his career with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). After eight years in Albuquerque, he moved to Spring, Texas, to continue work at the Houston center. In 1984, Jerry moved back to Albuquerque as an Operations Supervisor. He later held the positions of Operations Manager and Supervisory Traffic Management Coordinator until he retired in 2006. He worked on significant special projects during his FAA tenure and was considered a strong mentor to those who worked with him and, most of all, a dear friend.

While living in Spring, Texas, Jerry became involved with the local little league and volunteered to assist in building their new concession stand, and with that, his long construction and building career began. He built his first home for his in-laws in 1982. Over the next 40 years, Jerry constructed over 30 custom homes, dozens of remolding projects, multiple commercial buildings and improvements, and special projects for the New Mexico Military Institute baseball and New Mexico State University women's soccer teams. He received numerous building honors, including various awards by the Placitas Home Tour.

Over the years, Jerry and Shirley traveled with friends and family worldwide. He enjoyed visiting historical US sites around the country, piloting a plane to the Bahamas, sailing in the San Juan Islands, and taking multiple cruises.

He was kind and generous to all he met and truly wanted to help others. He loved being around people and was known by all for his hospitality and was famous for hosting large events, gatherings, or just dinner with friends. In recent years he had taken a considerable interest in cooking and especially smoking meats on his trailer-sized smoker.

He took a significant interest in his grandchildren in his retirement. He spent countless hours and resources engaged in their various sporting activities. Not only as a fan of his grandchildren's teams but also by providing dinners to out-of-town teammates, hosting multiple team dinners and events, and lending his building expertise to help enhance their facilities.

He also enjoyed spending time with his friends and family at his Jemez Mountain cabin, which he built in 2010. He always had a project and took great pride in everything he built (and grew) there. The amount of laughter and quality time spent at the cabin with his wife, children, and grandchildren over the last 12 years was priceless. His legacy will truly live on forever at this family home.

Jerry loved scotch and a good cigar and was rarely found without one in his hand, especially at the cabin. He loved life and his family more than anything, and it showed.

Jerry passed away on June 4, 2022 and is survived by his wife of nearly 54 years, Shirley; daughter, Sheri Kizer, and husband, Chad, all of Placitas; son, Jerry E. Todd Jr, and wife, Lisa, of Albuquerque; and five grandchildren, Jacob, Jack and Jaden Todd, of Albuquerque; Sydney and Corey Kizer, of Placitas. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister, Phyllis Halekakis, and brother, Sammy Todd Jr.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, July 23, 2022, at 10:00 am at the Prairie Star Restaurant Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico.