Jerry Wayne Welty

Funeral services for Jerry Wayne Welty, 63, of Liberty City, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, September 9, 2006, at the First United Methodist Church, with the Revered David Lindwall officiating. Burial will follow in Rosewood Park under the direction of Rader Funeral Home of Longview. Mr. Welty was born August 1, 1943, in Fort Worth. He passed away September 6, 2006, in Alvarado. He graduated from Alvarado High School in 1961, attended Navarro Junior College in Corsicana, and graduated with a bachelor of science degree from Trinity University in San Antonio in 1966. Mr. Welty attended the University of Texas Graduate School and Stephen F. Austin Graduate School, receiving his master of education, mid-management certification, and superintendent certification. Jerry taught and coached in San Antonio for eight years before moving to Longview, where he was the defensive coordinator for the Longview Lobos from 1974-1980, then LISD ninth grade principal for four years. He then moved to Sabine Independent School District, serving as principal for Sabine Junior High School for six years and became superintendent of schools for Sabine ISD in 1990, from which he retired in 1998. Jerry was a member of the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals, Sabine Parents and Teachers Organization, Association of Secondary Curriculum Development, Texas Associations of School Superintendents, was an administrative board member of First United Methodist Church of Longview, coached girls soccer teams in Longview Soccer Association, boys baseball for the Longview Baseball Association, and refereed basketball for Southwest Basketball Officials Association. Jerry will be remembered for his intensity on the football field, his loyalty to his friends and family, his ethics, his strong moral character, and his compassion and tenderness for others. Jerry was preceded in death by his father, Wilber Owen Welty. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Jill Suzette McNutt Welty of Liberty City; daughters and sons-in-law, Julie Michelle and Thien B. Nguyen, and Janice Suzette and Terry R. Petree; granddaughters, Madeline Mai Nguyen, Alyssa Ly Nguyen, Renee Alyse Petree, and Rachel Anne Petree; grandson, Tai Welty Nguyen; his mother, LaRue Welty of Alvarado; brothers and sisters-in-law, Rollie Earl and Cary Welty of Sydney, James Owen and Patricia Welty of Alvarado, and Gilbert Dale and Darlene Welty of Freer; 18 nieces and nephews; and 17 grand-nieces and nephews. In search for the best quality of life during Jerry's last stages of Alzheimer's, his last 11 months were spent at Alvarado Meadows Rehabilitation Center in Alvarado, where he received wonderful care and compassion from the staffs at AMRC and Odyssey Hospice of Waxahachie, and Dr. Slutter of Cleburne. The professionals not only took such great care on Jerry through very difficult times, but also took care of his family. For this, his family extends its greatest "Thank You." The family also thanks Annie Mae Smith and Douglas R. Cox for their extraordinary help and support while Jerry lived at home with Alzheimer's. The family requests that memorial contributions be made in honor of Mr. Welty to Odyssey Hospice, 2001 Bates, Suite 400, Waxahachie, TX 75157; or Alzheimer's Alliance of Northeast Texas Inc., 3616 S. Broadway, Suite 401, Tyler, TX 75701, for community services and research, or online at www.alz.org. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Friday evening, September 8, 2006, at the funeral home at 1617 Judson Road. A memorial guestbook may be signed online at www.raderfh.com.