Obituary
Jared (Jerry) Malone Billings passed to eternal peace and rest on March 12, 2024.
Jerry was born on August 31, 1931, in Nashville, Tennessee. His family moved to Miami, Florida, in 1935. He made Orlando home in 1962.
He and his sister, June, and brother, Jim, grew up in Miami and they all graduated from Miami Senior High School.
Jerry was involved in student government and played football (city and state champs) and basketball where they were the undefeated state champions his junior and senior years. Jerry is in the Miami High Hall of Fame.
He went to the University of Florida on a basketball scholarship and transferred to the University of Miami to finish his business and law degrees.
After completing R.O.T.C. he served as a lieutenant in the Army and was assigned to Joint Task Force Seven which tested the first H-bomb in the Pacific at Enewetak atoll In the Marshall Islands.
While still in law school, Jerry met and married the love of his life, Patsy Ruth McCord. They were blessed with three children: Kimberly, Josh, and Melissa.
They have also been blessed with three grandchildren, Sarah, Jared, and Meryl and three great grandchildren, Annie, Benjamin and Samuel. Pat and Jerry were married for 66 years.
Jerry had the privilege of practicing law with and against some of the outstanding trial lawyers in Florida. He was president of the Young Lawyers Section of the Florida Bar, a member of the Board of Governors of the Florida Bar, a Director and Diplomat of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers and a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.
Jerry was also involved in civic matters. He was a founding member and president of the Central Florida Chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Chairman of the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast which was one of the inaugural events of the new Orange County Convention Center (1983) with Billy Graham as the speaker.
He served on the Board of Trustees for Valencia College, trustee of the Greater Orlando Leadership Foundation, Director of Frontline Outreach and a member of the Relocation Committee for Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru).
He was also on the Board of Directors of Churches Alive and the Board of the Central Florida Crime Commission.
Jerry will be remembered as a principled man of integrity always in search of the truth. His combination of humor, love and intensity led many to seek his council.
Jerry always felt his life was a gift from God and a demonstration of God’s mercy, love, and good grace.
A graveside service will be held at 11am on March 23rd at the Palm Cemetery, 1005 N. New York Ave., Winter Park, Florida. In lieu of flowers, donations are welcomed to St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church 4917 Eli St Orlando, FL 32804.
Baldwin Brothers Funeral and Cremation Society is honored to care for Mr. Billings and his family at this time. Those wishing to share a memory or light a virtual candle in his memory are encouraged to do so on his memorial page.
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