Jerome “Jerry” Sackett

Jerome “Jerry” Sackett was born Thursday August 26th, 1937 in Denver, CO. He passed away on Friday, February 24, 2023. He was 85 years old.

He is predeceased in his death by his wife, Betty Jean Sackett, His parents, Howard and Pauline Sackett, and daughter Angie Streeter. He is survived by his 10 children: 2 sons and 8 daughters, 23 grandchildren, and 35 great grandchildren.

Our dad was raised on a farm in Gobles, MI. After graduating high school from Paw Paw High School, he joined the Air Force July 22, 1955 as an Aircraft Jet Engine Mechanic and was honorably discharged as a Basic Airman February 2nd, 1959. He used his GI bill to obtain his master’s degrees at Western Michigan University in Physical Education and History and minored in Mathematics.

While he later utilized this degree as a teacher at Haley Turner Private School in Dothan, Al he had various jobs throughout his life such as coach, textile factory worker, salesman, mechanic, social worker, and even a local TV station manager.

His passion in life was telling his story, helping others, obviously raising kids, fixing anything broken, carpentry, sports and playing golf, and the thing we all benefited from the most was teaching. Lectures were he worst form of punishment from him as teenagers. And we’ve all heard some of his favorite sayings “When all else fails, read the directions”, “Omitting the truth is a lie”, “The only difference between an excuse and a reason is the spelling”, ‘It’s not a long drive, it’s a short putt”, “If at first you don’t succeed, try try again”, “Righty tighty, lefty loosy”. And his newest saying he shared with us in his last days ‘We don’t get to understand why we go through lousy days, it just all works out”.

As if our family wasn’t big enough, we gained a new one January 10, 1996 when he picked up his white chip. Our extended family changed all our lives. We went from spending Christmas Eve at the bar to being home, well some of them were spent at various home group locations just waiting for someone who wanted to change their lives like we had. Helping others, communication, acceptance, love, all the things he never had and never felt worthy or capable, became obtainable and he was forever grateful. Every opportunity he had to share this new life, he did. Through his work at Spectra Care, as a teacher, a Walmart associate, as a parent, as a friend, or even as a random teammate at a golf tournament, Daddy spent the last half of his life making his amends and spreading his newfound joy to anyone who would listen.

We will never forget his bedtime stories, Donald Duck impersonating, playing monster or dress up, the advice, the patience, the understanding and unconditional friendship and love, the softball games he coached, or halftime shows he cheered at every Friday night in the fall (home or away), his unjudgmental welcoming presence, or the way he always knew how to be there for us all.

Robert and Toni Byrd · Sunset Memorial Park

1700 Barrington Rd, Midland City AL · (334) 983-6604