In loving memory of Jerry Sayles - Obituary Baldwin Brothers

Obituary

Jerry Don Sayles, otherwise lovingly known as Pops, passed away March 11, 2024 in Orlando, Florida, at the age of 73, after courageously battling cancer, surrounded by his loving family.

Jerry was born in Lubbock, Texas to Charles and Bertha Sayles. He was the baby of eleven brothers and sisters. He attended Coronado High School and upon graduation, went on to serve his country in the United States Air Force. After the Air Force, Jerry followed his brothers’ footsteps as a plumber, and later earned his Master Plumbing License from the State of Texas. He owned Sayles Plumbing in Lubbock, Texas. In 1992 Jerry and family moved to Titusville, Florida where he continued his career in Plumbing and Barbara began hers as a Presbyterian Church Educator. In 2008, Jerry and Barbara moved to Orlando to be closer to their jobs.

Jerry enjoyed a full life, annual trips to the Davis Mountains with his deer-hunting club, playing golf & racquetball with his brothers, and was part owner of thoroughbreds for a number of years. Family road trips to the Ballpark in Arlington, the mountains in Ruidoso, N.M. where his kids learned to ski, or any given surprise adventure were a staple in the Sayles household. He was his kids’ biggest cheerleader at their various football & baseball games and track meets, taught his boys to hunt when they were old enough, coached his daughter’s softball and basketball teams, often leading them to the championship. He loved laughing & playing & making up silly games with his family. He taught his kids to push their limits in their work, sports, and adventures, and the value of good work ethic through his own example. He was a tough but fair father, and his kids remember his rough hands as a sign of his hard work, and his willingness to work overtime as a coach and dad.

After Jerry retired, he could be seen volunteering with his wife Barbara at farms & groves all over Florida, gleaning various vegetables and fruit, or packing up after an SEPC Produce Expo and helping distribute the nutritious food to people struggling with hunger, something very dear to his heart. Some of Jerry’s favorite things were the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, ice cream, real Tex-Mex, Texas BBQ, driving the Blue Ridge Parkway, relaxing on the beaches of the Emerald Coast, and doting on his grandkids, attending their concerts and sporting events.

Of Jerry’s many titles -husband, dad, coach, craftsman, his favorite title was Pops to his 8 grandchildren. He is survived by his wife, Barbara of 49 years, his three children, Robby (wife-Jennifer), Mandy (husband-David), and Cory (wife-Tara); his eight grandchildren- Madison, Justin (wife-Marisol), Ellie, Keahna, Caleb, Micah, Wyatt and Grayson, 3 sisters and many nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life is to be held at Long & Scott Farm in Mt Dora, Fl at 11am on April 6, 2024. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to The Paul Anderson Youth Home in Vidalia, Georgia. This charity was close to Jerry’s heart. https://fundraise.givesmart.com/form/zACOPQ?vid=14gyrj