Jerome "Jerry" Wurmser

1923 - 2018

Jerome "Jerry" Wurmser

Louisville - Jerome "Jerry" Wurmser died on September 8, 2018. Born in Louisville, KY on March 16, 1923, Jerry was the son of the late Fannie and Philipp Wurmser. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Rose Rita, son Jeffrey Mark, brother Sol Wurmser and sister Sylvia Blanc.

Jerry grew up in Louisville and graduated from Louisville Male High School. He attended U of L then cut short his college studies in 1942 to join the Army Air Corps. After graduating from flight school in January 1944 Jerry received his commission as a 1st Lt. in the U S Army Air Corps and was made a flight instructor in Greenville, TX. Upon transferring to Dover, DE he began flying the legendary Republic P47 Thunderbolt. In June 1944 while still stateside Jerry escaped serious injury during an acrobatics training exercise after bailing out of his airplane which was in a near speed-of-sound power dive. Fearless and determined, after 4 days in the hospital, he was flying again.

Jerry's military service was a formative period that influenced the rest of his life. In September, 1944 he was one of 14 replacement pilots assigned to the 324th Fighter Group operating out of Southern France. He completed 66 combat missions overseas. One of only 2 survivors of the 14 replacement pilots with whom he served, Jerry carried the names of the other 12 men in his wallet throughout his life. During the war, Jerry was awarded the Air Medal with 9 clusters. He was a member of the Caterpillar Club and received the French Legion of Honor in 2011 for his service in France. In January 1946 Jerry returned home, serving in the Air Corps Reserves for the next 8 years. In later years he spent many hours on the Internet, in touch with airplane enthusiasts from France and Germany who were researching WWII.

Once stateside, Jerry re-enrolled at U of L where he met his future wife, Rose Rita Levens. They were married in June 1947. Upon moving to Lexington in 1961 Jerry and Rose Rita started a wholesale sundries business, from which he retired in 1984. Jerry was widely known as someone to go to for help, be it a temporary home, the use of his pickup or rototiller, or a home maintenance problem. Active in the community, Jerry was a member of Temple Adath Israel and served on its Board. In 1996, in recognition of their outstanding service to their community, Jerry and Rose Rita were selected as recipients of the prestigious National Conference of Christians and Jews' CHAI award for their work with the Soviet Resettlement Program. Jerry volunteered with Operation Read, mentored at Cassidy Elementary school, worked with Habitat for Humanity, was a patient escort at the local V.A. Hospital and graduated with the second class of the Lexington Citizens Police Academy. He was an avid reader and gardener, a former Mason, Shriner and Optimist Club member.

Survivors include daughters Judith Wurmser (Paul Cable) and Linda (Jeffrey Lee) Noffsinger of Lexington and daughter Terri Wurmser of Baltimore, MD; grandchildren Lauren Higdon (Joshua Saxton) and Matthew Higdon, Jared Noffsinger, and Jeremy Noffsinger; great-grandsons Joshua Tag Howard and Noah Howard; and grandsons by marriage Adam Cable and Patrick Cable.

Funeral service will be at Temple Adath Israel (TAI) on Wednesday 9/12 at 11am, followed by a graveside service at Lexington Cemetery.

Visitation will be at Milward Man O'War on Tuesday 9/11 6:30-8:30pm and at TAI on Wednesday 9/12 10-11am. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made to Temple Adath Israel or the Aviation Museum of Kentucky. www.milwardfuneral.com