Jerome William Derr, 91, of Williamsport, passed away Wednesday afternoon, January 19th, 2022 at the Williamsport Hospital, UPMC. Born at home in Jaysburg on April 3, 1930, he was the son of the late William J. and Mary Patt Derr.
On July 28, 1951, Jerome married his high school sweetheart, Sara Furl Derr, and together they celebrated 67 wonderful years until her passing on May 9, 2019.
Jerome was a 1949 graduate of Williamsport High School where he was a Senior Class President and played football and baseball. In 1948, during the Shamokin High School football game, he intercepted a pass on the three-yard like and ran it back 97 yards for a touchdown. He also played Little League for Sweet Steel and West End. He was a long-time member of the Class Reunion Committee. Jerome was well known as a “body and fender” man retiring in 1996 from Fairfield Auto Body Shop. He served in the US Army from 1950-1953 in the Korean War where he was stationed in Salzburg, Austria in the motor pool.
He is survived by his daughter Constance Derr Reed of Westfield, his son Jerome W. Derr II of Williamsport, granddaughters Michele Reed Landolt (Robert) of Salisbury, MD, and Samantha Reed Weiskopff (Brett) of Covington, PA; also, by a sister-in-law, Mary Furl Gilmour of South Williamsport. Besides his wife, Jerome was predeceased by his son-in-law Michael Reed and sisters Loraine Derr Phleger and Constance Derr.
Jerome was a long-time parishioner of St. Joseph the Worker Parish, formerly the Church of the Annunciation where he served as an usher. He was a 3rd degree member of the Knights of Columbus, a member of the Republican Club, and White Deer Golf Course where he played in the Retiree’s League. He also bowled for years at the YMCA and ABC Lanes.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Joseph the Worker Parish, 702 W 4th St., Williamsport PA on Saturday, January 21, 2022 at 10am with Rev. David Bechtel officiating. Burial will be held at Wildwood Cemetery with full military honors accorded by the Korean War Veterans of Lycoming County. Visitation will be from 9 to 10 am in the church portico.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to St. Joseph the Worker Parish, 712 W. Edwin St., Williamsport, PA 17701. Arrangements have been entrusted to Crouse Funeral Home & Cremation Services. To share a memory or sign a register book, please visit http://www.crousefuneralhome.com.
