Jerry Dewaine Irvine

Jerry Dewaine Irvine of Warsaw, Indiana passed away surrounded by his loving family at 9:25 a.m. on Friday, August 13, 2021 at his residence at the age of 76.  He passed away from complications of cancer.

He was born on April 26, 1945 in Peru, Indiana to Lucile Naomi (Cowan) Irvine and Harold Jasper Irvine.  He married the love of his life, Marilyn Jessie Lindsey in Fremont, Iowa on July 20, 1968.  They raised two daughters, experienced the joy of becoming grandparents all throughout their 53 years of marriage before he passed away.

Jerry was a 1963 graduate of Leesburg High School in Leesburg, Indiana and a 1967 graduate of Allied Institute of Technology where he received a degree in tool engineering.  Later he attended business school at Loyola University in Chicago.  On May 12, 1967, Jerry was inducted into the U.S. Army where he proudly served until his honorable discharge on April 21, 1969.  At the time of his discharge, he was a specialist 4th Class having served in Germany. 

He worked for Kemp Corp. doing tooling and machine design, and was the product design engineer for Rotary Seal Corp.  He started his own company and was the owner and president of G.I. Tape & Label Division since 1975 as well as the G.I. Polishing Division in Warsaw, Indiana for 22 years before retiring.  Jerry was a very intelligent man who was always pleasant, willing to lend a helping hand and a hard-working guy.  He contributed to the establishment of Flexographic printing guide-lines to produce Bar Codes to ANSI standards. 

Jerry loved to get involved in his community and served as a precinct committeeman for many years.  He was a longtime member of the Warsaw Kiwanis Club where he accomplished 22 years of perfect attendance and served as a board member.  He was a Distinguished Club President from 1988-89, was the chairman of the Travelogue Committee, oversaw the M.C. Travelogue Programs for 10 years, and was the moderator for the Live from Washington Video Teleconferences.  Jerry served for 10 years on the International Advisory Council of Vennard College located in University Park, Iowa as well as serving 10 years on the Board of Trustees and 6 years as Chairman of Property and Finance Committee. 

Jerry enjoyed most sports and played racquet ball for 17 years and he LOVED to travel, especially in his RV. Jerry and his wife, Marilyn enjoyed their traveling companions, Chuck and Deb Whitcraft and Willis and Peggy Alt.  They had a grand old time on their road trip to Alaska in 2015.  He was a longtime member of Winona Lake Free Methodist Church where he was a Sunday School Teacher, board member and a committee member.  Recently he had been enjoying fellowshipping with his Nappanee Missionary Church family in Nappanee, Indiana. He also enjoyed his Brooksville Wesleyan Church family in Brooksville, FL.  Jerry loved to spend time with his family and his two favorite granddaughters, Kaylyn and Hannah.  He will be forever loved and remembered as a loving husband, wonderful father, doting grandfather, a great brother and a dear friend to many.  Jerry will be dearly missed by all.

He will be lovingly remembered by his wife:  Marilyn Irvine (Warsaw, Indiana); two daughters:  Elizabeth (Dana) Fisher (Warsaw, Indiana); Stephanie (Jon) Hershberger (Warsaw, Indiana); two grandchildren:  Kaylyn Hershberger and Hannah Fisher; and his brother:  Lonny (Brenda) Irvine (Brooksville, Florida).  He was preceded in death by his parents.           

Visitation will be held from 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 18, 2021at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw, Indiana.  Jerry’s life will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 19, 2021 at Nappanee Missionary Church, 70417 SR 19 North, Nappanee, Indiana and officiated by Reverend Dave Engbrecht.  There will also be an hour of calling prior to the service at the church from 10:00 -11:00 a.m.  A graveside service will follow at Oakwood Cemetery of Warsaw, Indiana with military rites conducted by members of the Warsaw American Legion Post #49, V.F.W. #1126 and members of the active-duty Army Honor Guard. 

Memorial donations may be directed to World Gospel Mission, P.O. Box 948, Marion, IN 46952-0948; OMS – One Mission Society, P.O. Box 1648, Monument, CO 80132-1648; or to Feed My Starving Children, 401 93rd Avenue NW, Coon Rapids, MN 55433.

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