Pastor Jerry Dean Willis

1945 - 2021

Pastor Jerry Dean Willis

December 5, 1945 - February 19, 2021

Pastor Jerry Dean Willis, 75, of Morganton, went home to be with his Lord and Savior Friday, Feb. 19, 2021.

Born Dec. 5, 1945, he was the son of the late Claude and Doris Willis.

Jerry was a member and Associate Pastor of Praise Assembly of God. Jerry graduated from East Rutherford High School where he received a football scholarship to Appalachian State University. After he graduated from ASU, he began his teaching career in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. He soon continued his career at Alexander Central High School as an assistant principal and football coach. He then became assistant principal at Hibriten High School in Lenoir where he retired in 1996. Before he retired in 1996, he acquired his general contractors license from the state of North Carolina. He enjoyed a passion for construction and remodeling on a part-time basis until fully retiring in 2015. Throughout his life, he has owned and raised registered Hereford, Angus and commercial beef cattle. He enjoyed visiting other farms and farmers at various livestock meeting and cattle auctions where he explored various ideas on how the cattle industry was changing. A week after he retired from his education career, he accepted the call by the Lord into Ministry. Jerry and Susie have been in ministry for 20 years. They planted a church in Morganton (All Nations Tabernacle). They helped start five Celebrate Recovery programs and led the Celebrate Recovery program at Whitnel Pentecostal Holiness Church for two years. He also started Celebrate Recovery inside the Hudson Prison. He was Senior Pastor at Macedonia Pentecostal Holiness Church for five years, and he has been pastoring at Praise Assembly since 2016.

Pastor Jerry is survived by his second wife of 32 years, Suzanne "Susie" Seagle Willis; sons, Mike Willis and wife, Denise, Robert Willis and wife, Wendy; stepdaughters, April Robinson and husband, Jody, Amy Lovelace and husband, Charlie; grandchildren, Morgan Willis, Maggie Willis, Jared Willis, Jesse Willis, Elijah Cook, Isaiah Cook, Jonah Cook, Abigail Cook, Angel Riggins, Megan Ceragioli, and Caleb Ceragioli; great-grandchildren, Adalyn Kaylor, Elioth Ceragioli, and Porter Cook; brothers, Ronnie Willis and wife, Linda, and Dennis Willis and wife, Cora; and sister, Gloria Jones and husband, Gus.

The family will receive friends from 1 to 4 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 28, at Praise Assembly Church of God in Glen Alpine. The funeral will be held at 4 p.m. in the church, with the Pastors Kevin Crawford and Boyd Biggerstaff officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Military honors will be provided by the N.C. National Guard and the Caldwell County Veterans Honor Guard. The service for Pastor Willis will be livestreamed at lifeatpraise.org/index.php/media.

Memorial contributions may be made to Praise Assembly Church of God Building Fund.

Sossoman Funeral Home

www.sossomanfh.com