Obituary

Jerry Wayne Spoonemore

October 26, 1939-March 4, 2022

Jerry passed away peacefully in Seattle with his son Rick Spoonemore and daughter Brenda Spoonemore by his side on March 4, 2022.

The son of Nellie "Frances" Rainwater Spoonemore and Ira "Wayne" Spoonemore, Jerry was born and grew up in Dayton, graduating from DHS in 1957. Throughout his life, Jerry maintained strong connections with Dayton, including helping to coordinate multiple reunions for the class of '57 and introducing his children to fly fishing and backcountry hiking on the North Touchet and off of Skyline Drive in the Blue Mountains.

After graduating, Jerry attended Willamette University in Salem, Ore., (class of '61), before attending the University of Washington for graduate school, where he received his Master's Degree in Physics. While in Seattle for graduate school, Jerry met Norma Jean Horrell through a mutual friend. A smart, funny, and striking redhead and fellow grad student, Jerry knew a good thing when he saw it. Jerry and Norma married in 1963, and spent nearly 54 years together until Norma passed away in 2017 with Jerry at her side.

After settling down in Richland with Norma and several years working at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, Jerry returned to law school at the University of Washington, graduating in 1969, after which he practiced law in Seattle for more than three decades until his retirement. A trusted colleague and mentor, shortly before his retirement he was voted "Boss of the Year" by the Washington State paralegals and legal secretaries association.

Jerry made the most of life. He retired at age 60 to travel the world with his wife Norma, and they traveled to nearly every continent, making friends wherever they went. He attended his four grandkids' visit days at school, plays, basketball games, track meets, trail runs, birthdays, graduations, and everything else. He played trumpet in the Seattle Civic Band. A member of the DHS football, basketball, and track teams, he played national senior basketball into his 80s, making friends with teammates from all over the country. He stayed in touch with friends from every part of his life.

The family thanks Dell Groom and the DHS class of '57, which has made a memorial contribution in Jerry's name to the DHS Alumni Association to support scholarships for graduating students. These contributions would have been especially meaningful to Jerry, who set up the Frances Spoonemore scholarship for DHS graduates many years ago, in memory of his mother who was the school secretary at DHS for decades before her death in 1985.

Jerry was preceded in death by his wife Norma and his sister Judy Elott. A loving and supportive father and grandfather, he is survived by his son and daughter and four grandchildren.