Jerry E. Ayers

1936 - 2018

Jerry E. Ayers, 81, of Durant, OK, passed away Friday, May 18, 2018, at Texoma Medical Center. He fought a valiant battle after undergoing triple bypass heart surgery on April 23.
A celebration of life service will be held at 2 pm, Saturday, May 26, at Brown's Funeral Service, 4900 West Hwy. 70, Durant, OK 74701. Jerry was a member of Calvary Baptist Church, and Skip Robinson will officiate. Family and friends are invited to attend an informal gathering in the community room that will immediately follow the service.
Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association in lieu of flowers. Those wishing to sign Jerry's guestbook may do so at the service or on the tribute page at brownsfuneralservice.com.
Jerry was born October 8, 1936, in Brooks, WV, to coal miner Charles William and Dora Iva (Bragg) Ayers. After high school he enlisted in the US Air Force in October 1954 and completed basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. He met the former Mary Helen Anderson in Durant while stationed at Perrin Air Force Base in Sherman, TX. They married at First Baptist Church in Durant on September 14, 1957, in a double wedding ceremony with friends.
During his 13 years of service in the Air Force he completed tours in Okinawa and in Thailand where he worked as an aircraft mechanic servicing a variety of aircraft, including fighter jets conducting bombing raids during the Vietnam War. After honorable discharge from full-time duty, Jerry became a small-business owner in the grocery industry. He opened Jerry's Handy Food Mart in Durant followed by a store in McKinney, TX, and then returned to Oklahoma where he built and ran the Calera Food Mart convenience store/gas station (now EZ Mart) with his wife, sister-in-law and brother-in law. After leaving the grocery business Jerry served two years in the Air Force Reserves out of Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City. He used his mechanical skills working at Hitchcock Industries in Denison and retired from Sherman's Pilkington Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Company in 1997.
In retirement Jerry enjoyed spending time with his family. He loved taking road trips back home to Virginia and West Virginia and exploring other states and Canada during family reunions and vacations, including special events like the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. Jerry loved the outdoors; one of his favorite hobbies was vegetable gardening, where he kept family and neighbors stocked with tomatoes and squash. He also enjoyed woodworking - using his skills to build bird houses - and making custom outdoor lamps.
Jerry is survived by his wife Mary of almost 61 years; two daughters: Deborah Ayers and her husband Dameon Harrison of Richardson, TX, and Melinda Ayers Scott of Durant; two grandchildren: Rylan and Destiney Scott of Durant; three sisters: Peggy Williams and husband Arthur and Lana Oyler and husband Junior, all of Covington, VA, and Pam Moneymaker and husband Frank of Nimitz, WV; one brother: Wayne Ayers and wife Brenda of Eagle Rock, VA; and many aunts, uncles and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Iva; brothers Charles Howard and Roger; and sister Otega May.