Jerry Raymond Maxwell

Jerry Raymond Maxwell, 67, passed away May 6, 2014 at his home in Denver, Colorado, surrounded by his loving family. He was born October 7, 1946 in Portland, Oregon to Raymond Lewis and Olive Arbutus Drury Maxwell. In his youth, Jerry moved to Montana where he lived until he was 14. He then moved to Denver with his half-brother Gary to live with his father. This was after the sudden death of his mother. In early 1963, a tall, dark-haired, very thin boy walked in to an English class at Grant Junior High in Denver to start the new semester. The minute Pam Marlow laid eyes on him, she knew she would marry this boy and have two children. Pam and Jerry dated through Junior & Senior High School and in the fall of 1966 made it official by getting married. They started their family in May of 1967 with the birth of their first child, Alan Wayne Maxwell and 3 ½ years later the Maxwell family grew with the birth of their daughter, Jamie Rae Maxwell. The young family moved into Pam's childhood home (built by her father after WWII) in 1970 where they raised their family. An avid fisherman and hunter, Jerry shared this passion with his family. Jerry and his son Alan, enjoyed many trips ice fishing, bird-hunting and big game hunting together. One of Jerry's fondest memories were two fishing trips he took to Canada. Jerry's childhood friend Steve Haskins facilitated and joined Jerry on both trips. Jerry's son Alan joined them on one of those trips. Jerry's daughter Jamie also enjoyed fishing trips with her Dad and learned early on that there was no room to be girly about fishing. It is one of Jamie's most treasured memories of her Dad. In the late 90's Jerry and Pam purchased a home built in 1913 in Walden, Colorado. This home became a labor of love for Jerry as he sunk a lot of time and sweat equity to make it a wonderful getaway for his family. Many weekends were spent making the 3½ hour drive over Berthoud Pass to work on their retreat. The family has many fond memories of their time in Walden. Jerry continued his education working a full-time job while attending night classes to obtain his Associates Degree. He dreamed of being a building inspector for many years and worked hard to pass the necessary certification to fulfill his dream. In 1997, Jerry's dream came true when he was offered a position as a building inspector with the City of Thornton. Through the years, Jerry continued to improve himself by gaining additional certifications which ultimately allowed him to become a Senior Inspector. In 2001, Alan and his wife Teresa welcomed Amanda Marie Maxwell into the world making Jerry a very proud grandfather. In 2004, Brian Wayne Maxwell came along and helped to complete one of Jerry's proudest accomplishments, being a Papa to his two adoring fans. Aside from being a doting Papa to Amanda & Brian, Jerry had many hobbies and interests over the years. Coin collecting, panning for gold, training his German Shorthaired Pointers, Digger & Abby to upland bird hunt, oil painting on canvas, working on his beloved 1930 Ford Model A ""Lizzy"", reading western novels, tying fishing flies, visiting antique car museums and many more hobbies and interests. A convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jerry had a strong testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. One of Jerry's favorite scriptures was Psalms 23. In late 2006, Jerry was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). Pulmonary fibrosis is ongoing scarring of the lungs that makes it increasingly more difficult to breathe. ""Fibrosis"" is the medical term for scarring. Jerry wanted to live his life to the fullest despite being oxygen dependent for numerous years. Whether it was tooling around Washington Park in Lizzy with the grand-kids in the rumble seat hitting the ""Ahooga"" horn, or casting his line hoping to land a whopper of a fish, he enjoyed life and his family. He was an amazing example of bravery. Jerry was the best son, brother, husband, father, Papa and friend that anyone could ask for. The world is a better place because he graced us with his presence. Jerry is survived by his sweetheart and beloved wife, Pam; children, Alan Maxwell (wife, Teresa); Jamie Wright (husband, Ralph); two grandchildren; Amanda and Brian and sister, Judith Munro. Preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Olive; siblings; Marvin Eugene Maxwell, Arbutus Lorraine Maxwell and Roberta Lucile Maxwell; and half-siblings, Abbie Coleen Main, Deborah Lavon Main and Gerald Dean Maxwell. The Funeral Service for Jerry will be held on Friday, May 9, 2014, at 10:00am, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2710 South Monaco Parkway, Denver. A Graveside service will be held on Saturday, May 10, 2014, 9:30am, at Chapel Hill Cemetery, 6601 South Colorado Blvd., Littleton. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested memorial donations in Jerry's name to National Jewish Health. The family would like to give a sincere and heartfelt thank you to the Kaiser Palliative Care Team including Dr. ""Andy"" Andrew Robinson, Nurse Stephanie and Meg. We would also like to thank The Denver Hospice ""angels"" who cared so lovingly for Jerry as he transitioned for his journey home.