Gerald Phillip “Jerry” McIntyre
Very few people make such a difference in the world as our friend, Jerry McIntyre. It’s hard to imagine and very sad to think about going on in our daily lives without a little dose of our Jerry to brighten each day. To say he’ll never be forgotten seems so inadequate when we are talking about our Jerry. Not just because he could turn a phrase that would become part of your every day speech, like the oft-quoted “One law at a time,” which by the way I’m sure Lee Plummer and I have used so many times with our clients that we really owe Jerry royalties. Or like “road sodi” because after all he was Irish!! Or like his favorite golf bet “$1.00 for longest drive in the fairway” which always seemed to be the hole when he knocked it long and down the middle. Or like “Free ain’t cheap enough!!” coined for our buddy Balz, appropriately so I might add. Or, one last phrase that I probably should not attempt to sing but here goes, “About mistakes, I’ve made a few.” If you think that was bad, you should have heard him do it!!
No, his phrases aren’t the reason our Jerry will never be forgotten, it is because of the way our Jerry lived his life – a kind and gentle soul with a heart as big as Texas and as good as gold. Our Jerry was generous and giving beyond any possible measure, and a servant of his community. Our Jerry was funny, friendly, thoughtful, and creative. Our Jerry was a great builder and businessman, and a mentor for Ross and Matt as they have grown into experienced builders and craftsmen in their own right. Our Jerry was a problem solver, and as Dale Chapman of Lewis and Clark told the Alton Telegraph, a great listener. Above all else, our Jerry adored his wife, Rhonda and each and every one of his children and family, and our Jerry wished for nothing more on many occasions than to just baby sit and feed the ducks with his grandchildren.
Our Jerry was honest to a fault and expected the same of everyone else, a quality that reminded me very much of my own Dad. They both believed what was right was right and our Jerry could get his Irish up when he felt right was being ignored.
Last night, as hundreds and hundreds of people stood in line for as much as 2 and ½ hours to express their sorrow and heart felt wishes to Rhonda and the family, I kept thinking about “Its a Wonderful Life” when Uncle Billy lost the building and loan money and the whole town shows up at George Bailey’s house on Christmas Eve to help their friend George out because of years and years of many kindnesses shown by him to all of the community. If you’ve seen it, I’m sure you will remember when they all toast “To George Bailey, the richest man in town.” As he looked down last night, I know our Jerry felt like the richest man in town.
Throughout, I’ve used “our Jerry” as a small symbol of the gratitude which I and all of us here today, wish to express to you, Rhonda, and Margie, Ross, Matt, Rachel, Robin, Marci, and all of the family, for sharing your Jerry with us these many years. This gratitude comes from those of us, who served with Jerry these past 18 years on the Jersey Community Hospital Board, of which he is presently the Chairman and where his expertise was invaluable not only with all of our many building projects throughout the years, but also with navigating the difficult waters of today’s health care business. And from Dale Chapman, Bob Watson and all the Lewis and Clark Community College Board members, where Jerry oversaw building projects for more than 20 years, first with AAI Campbell, and then as an elected Board member. I remember Jerry was very surprised and proud of his first election when he received the most votes of any candidate. It didn’t surprise me a bit.
Gratitude for “our Jerry” comes from his dear friend, Father Hembrow, and from the entire congregations and schools of the Holy Ghost and St. Francis parishes, where he previously served as Chairman of the School Board and where no building project proceeded without his creative design work, guiding hand during construction, and many hours of donated labor. It also comes from Mayor and Bob Hartmann, the City Council, and all the citizens of Jerseyville, for all of the new buildings and homes that beautify our city built by McIntrye Construction throughout its first 55 years.
It comes from Mike Arnett and the other members of the Job Center Board in Carlinville where Jerry served for many years. And from Kim and Duey Skinner and their boys for the wonderful home that Jerry and many other volunteers helped construct on weekends and nights for several months. And gratitude from Dick Allen, who is probably listening to Jerry tell a story right now, and Pam Heitzig, and the other current Jersey County Board members, who have sought Jerry’s counsel and assistance for many years with all of the county building projects. And gratitude from the Heneghans, Bartletts, Retzers, and all of the employees at EF Carpenters, where an engineer, a farmer and a couple of carpenters saw a community need for a nice restaurant and worked to fill it, again with some of Jerry’s creative design work.
Today I have a hole in my heart. I miss our Jerry. I want to know that at 3:30 today I can go to Westlake and there Jerry will be telling a Paddy story to Larry and Randy and Bob and Balz and Denny and John and all of our friends, and asking why I’m late. And telling me I need to block out Friday afternoons for one of the priorities of life – golf with friends!! Oh, how I wish I had blocked them all out.
I know all of you here miss him too, because, of all of his good qualities, the one that stood out most to me was his ability to make each one of us know that Jerry was our best friend. And it wasn’t just our belief, he truly did love us all. We miss our Jerry, for now he is our Lord’s Jerry.
I’m sure most of you know by now, that 11 days ago, the McIntyres, Strangs and Soehnlins had a very amazing and bittersweet day, when Will and Marci and Robin and Josh were married by Father Hembrow in Jerry and Rhonda’s bedroom so he could witness the marriages of his last two girls. A total of 18 or so hours from inception to vows resulted in one of the most touching and wonderful affairs of my life. As the news of the event spread by word of mouth many of you came to give your best wishes. Tomorrow and every day thereafter, I’m going to try to fill up the hole in my heart, as Gloria and I welcome our first daughter, Marci, and all of her family into our family.
Since this is truly an Irish wake, Larry and I felt that a toast is in order. As Larry and I raise one of Jerry’s favorite brand, will all of you please raise your imaginary glasses ---
To the best husband, father, son, brother, uncle, cousin, grandpa, in-law and friend;
to the most irreverent, irascible, and irreplaceable of us all;
to the least likely person we know to ever be forgotten;
to a man that because we knew him we are all changed for the better;
God you did good and thanks for sharing him with this world for so long;
to Jerry “F.” McIntyre, the richest man in town!!
Very few people make such a difference in the world as our friend, Jerry McIntyre. It’s hard to imagine and very sad to think about going on in our daily lives without a little dose of our Jerry to brighten each day. To say he’ll never be forgotten seems so inadequate when we are talking about our Jerry. Not just because he could turn a phrase that would become part of your every day speech, like the oft-quoted “One law at a time,” which by the way I’m sure Lee Plummer and I have used so many times with our clients that we really owe Jerry royalties. Or like “road sodi” because after all he was Irish!! Or like his favorite golf bet “$1.00 for longest drive in the fairway” which always seemed to be the hole when he knocked it long and down the middle. Or like “Free ain’t cheap enough!!” coined for our buddy Balz, appropriately so I might add. Or, one last phrase that I probably should not attempt to sing but here goes, “About mistakes, I’ve made a few.” If you think that was bad, you should have heard him do it!!
No, his phrases aren’t the reason our Jerry will never be forgotten, it is because of the way our Jerry lived his life – a kind and gentle soul with a heart as big as Texas and as good as gold. Our Jerry was generous and giving beyond any possible measure, and a servant of his community. Our Jerry was funny, friendly, thoughtful, and creative. Our Jerry was a great builder and businessman, and a mentor for Ross and Matt as they have grown into experienced builders and craftsmen in their own right. Our Jerry was a problem solver, and as Dale Chapman of Lewis and Clark told the Alton Telegraph, a great listener. Above all else, our Jerry adored his wife, Rhonda and each and every one of his children and family, and our Jerry wished for nothing more on many occasions than to just baby sit and feed the ducks with his grandchildren.
Our Jerry was honest to a fault and expected the same of everyone else, a quality that reminded me very much of my own Dad. They both believed what was right was right and our Jerry could get his Irish up when he felt right was being ignored.
Last night, as hundreds and hundreds of people stood in line for as much as 2 and ½ hours to express their sorrow and heart felt wishes to Rhonda and the family, I kept thinking about “Its a Wonderful Life” when Uncle Billy lost the building and loan money and the whole town shows up at George Bailey’s house on Christmas Eve to help their friend George out because of years and years of many kindnesses shown by him to all of the community. If you’ve seen it, I’m sure you will remember when they all toast “To George Bailey, the richest man in town.” As he looked down last night, I know our Jerry felt like the richest man in town.
Throughout, I’ve used “our Jerry” as a small symbol of the gratitude which I and all of us here today, wish to express to you, Rhonda, and Margie, Ross, Matt, Rachel, Robin, Marci, and all of the family, for sharing your Jerry with us these many years. This gratitude comes from those of us, who served with Jerry these past 18 years on the Jersey Community Hospital Board, of which he is presently the Chairman and where his expertise was invaluable not only with all of our many building projects throughout the years, but also with navigating the difficult waters of today’s health care business. And from Dale Chapman, Bob Watson and all the Lewis and Clark Community College Board members, where Jerry oversaw building projects for more than 20 years, first with AAI Campbell, and then as an elected Board member. I remember Jerry was very surprised and proud of his first election when he received the most votes of any candidate. It didn’t surprise me a bit.
Gratitude for “our Jerry” comes from his dear friend, Father Hembrow, and from the entire congregations and schools of the Holy Ghost and St. Francis parishes, where he previously served as Chairman of the School Board and where no building project proceeded without his creative design work, guiding hand during construction, and many hours of donated labor. It also comes from Mayor and Bob Hartmann, the City Council, and all the citizens of Jerseyville, for all of the new buildings and homes that beautify our city built by McIntrye Construction throughout its first 55 years.
It comes from Mike Arnett and the other members of the Job Center Board in Carlinville where Jerry served for many years. And from Kim and Duey Skinner and their boys for the wonderful home that Jerry and many other volunteers helped construct on weekends and nights for several months. And gratitude from Dick Allen, who is probably listening to Jerry tell a story right now, and Pam Heitzig, and the other current Jersey County Board members, who have sought Jerry’s counsel and assistance for many years with all of the county building projects. And gratitude from the Heneghans, Bartletts, Retzers, and all of the employees at EF Carpenters, where an engineer, a farmer and a couple of carpenters saw a community need for a nice restaurant and worked to fill it, again with some of Jerry’s creative design work.
Today I have a hole in my heart. I miss our Jerry. I want to know that at 3:30 today I can go to Westlake and there Jerry will be telling a Paddy story to Larry and Randy and Bob and Balz and Denny and John and all of our friends, and asking why I’m late. And telling me I need to block out Friday afternoons for one of the priorities of life – golf with friends!! Oh, how I wish I had blocked them all out.
I know all of you here miss him too, because, of all of his good qualities, the one that stood out most to me was his ability to make each one of us know that Jerry was our best friend. And it wasn’t just our belief, he truly did love us all. We miss our Jerry, for now he is our Lord’s Jerry.
I’m sure most of you know by now, that 11 days ago, the McIntyres, Strangs and Soehnlins had a very amazing and bittersweet day, when Will and Marci and Robin and Josh were married by Father Hembrow in Jerry and Rhonda’s bedroom so he could witness the marriages of his last two girls. A total of 18 or so hours from inception to vows resulted in one of the most touching and wonderful affairs of my life. As the news of the event spread by word of mouth many of you came to give your best wishes. Tomorrow and every day thereafter, I’m going to try to fill up the hole in my heart, as Gloria and I welcome our first daughter, Marci, and all of her family into our family.
Since this is truly an Irish wake, Larry and I felt that a toast is in order. As Larry and I raise one of Jerry’s favorite brand, will all of you please raise your imaginary glasses ---
To the best husband, father, son, brother, uncle, cousin, grandpa, in-law and friend;
to the most irreverent, irascible, and irreplaceable of us all;
to the least likely person we know to ever be forgotten;
to a man that because we knew him we are all changed for the better;
God you did good and thanks for sharing him with this world for so long;
to Jerry “F.” McIntyre, the richest man in town!!