COLONEL JAY D. TERRY, USAF RET
1931-2021
Jay D. Terry, died on August 17, 2021, peacefully while asleep with his daughters beside him, after a full and wonderful life of over 90 years. His beloved wife and companion for 63 years, Ann Heath McCrary Terry (Annie) predeceased him as did his parents Marie Hunter Terry and Clyde Ray Terry. His brothers Jack and Jim predeceased him, while he is survived by his brother/best friend Joseph Terry and his wife Pat. He is survived by his and Annie’s children Michael Hunter Terry, Catherine Heath Terry Hernandez, Margaret Sanders Terry Wilkening and their spouses, Stephanie Davis Terry, Rudy Hernandez, and Stanley Wilkening, and Stan’s mother and Jay and Annie’s good friend, Patricia Wilkening. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Michael Hunter Terry, Jr. (Chrystal), Jocelyn Ann Terry Torrence (Robert), Charlotte Adkins Terry Naegele (Leo), Jadon Bryce Sanders (Hanna), Kyle Matthew Sanders (Cassie), Kathryn Ann Wilkening Orem (Benji) Anna Elizabeth Wilkening Baker (Phillip) and great grandchildren, Henry Orem, Elizabeth Orem, Annie Orem, and Coleman Sanders.
Jay was born on April 5, 1931 and grew up in Davenport, Iowa. Jay’s grandparents were farmers in Ohio and Kansas. His father served in World War I and thereafter was the superintendent of military schools for boys. His mother was a teacher and a secretary and raised Jay and his brothers with the help of her mother, Mary Sanders Hunter, after the premature death of his father in an accident. Jay attended and graduated from the University of Iowa and then attended Georgetown University School of Law. He met Annie in Washington DC where they both worked for an intelligence agency and married September 1955 at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington DC. Immediately after graduation from Georgetown Law School,
Jay was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Judge Advocate General’s Corp of the United States Air Force, being inspired by his father’s service in World War I and his brothers’ service during World War II. Jay served 25 years in the Air Force, receiving further education (LLM in International Law from New York University and at the Air Force War College) before retiring as a colonel. Thereafter, Jay joined a law firm in Dallas, Texas, (Leonard, Marsh, Hurt, Terry and Blinn) where he practiced public finance law with a concentration in municipal lease purchase law.
Jay loved the Air Force and he and Annie enjoyed the ability to live in wonderful places, including Orly, Paris, Wiesbaden and Ramstein Germany from which they and their children were able to travel widely through Europe. Jay served as Staff Judge Advocate at Korat
Air Force Base in Thailand during the Vietnam War and enjoyed immensely his tours in Charleston, South Carolina, as an instructor at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, consecutive tours in Washington DC and in Austin, Texas.
Jay’s greatest pleasures included travel with and time spent with Annie, his children and his grandchildren. He and Annie were avid bridge players, and he was a thoughtful and ruthless poker player, passing on his love for poker to his kids and grandkids. Jay’s other pleasures included music (both listening to the classics and singing in his loud baritone voice at church and in community choirs), reading histories and novels, dinners with dear friends, watching old movies, dancing with Annie and his daily New York Times cross word puzzles (which he arrogantly completed in red ink). Jay enjoyed participating in athletics, including handball, basketball and swimming and was a huge sports fan, particularly enjoying being a Washington Redskins fan while living in Dallas. To be fair to his adopted city,
Jay was a huge follower of the Stars, Mavericks and the Rangers.
Jay choose not to dwell on bad things in life, had a great sense of humor (infused with way too many irritating puns) and looked for the good in life and the people he encountered. He was a great teacher and friend to his students, staff and colleagues as well as to his children and grandchildren. His philosophy was evident from two of his favorite phrases: “don’t sweat the small stuff ” and “this too will pass”.
He is and will be missed.