OBITUARY
Sept. 16, 1939 - May 25, 2005
Pampa News, Friday, May 27, 2005
Amarillo – Jerry Lynn Gage, 65, of Amarillo, died Wednesday, May 25, 2005, at Amarillo.
Graveside services are scheduled at 4 p.m. Saturday in Fairview Cemetery in Pampa with Pastor Lonny Robbins, of Trinity Fellowship Church of Pampa, officiating.
Arrangements are under the direction of Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors of Pampa.
Born Sept. 16, 1939, at Breckenridge, Mr. Gage lived in the area most of his life, residing in Pampa, Lubbock and Amarillo. A butcher, he had worked for Furrs Foods, Safeway and Homeland,
Mr. Gage was a veteran of the U.S. Navy.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Rusty Gage and Ruth White; and stepfathers, Joe Ing and Fred White.
Survivors include three daughters, Michelle Painter of Plainview, Suzan Hawkins of Richmond and Schanda Green of Pampa; three sons, Jerry Gage and David Gage, both of Amarillo, and Donnie Barton of Baytown; two sisters, Karen Byars of Pampa and Aral Bonham of Garnett, Kan.; a brother, Kent Gage; and 11 grandchildren.
Additional Information. All of us knew Jerry as Jerry Ing. I asked Jerry's lifetime friend, Don Darling, about the apparent name discrepancy, and Don had this to say. Jerry's biological father was Gage, so that was his real name. His mother later married an Ing, so that's where his name came from as we knew him. Something kind of strangely funny, they lived on Ong street ... Ing lived on Ong. I still laugh about it, and Jerry found the humor in it too. I met Jerry in the 7th grade in Mrs. Salmon's class. We hit it off and were more than friends ... bud's for 53 years. I remember that Jr. High sent Pampa High a letter "not to put us together in any classes", but they messed up! He and I got a history class together and of course band.
Don further added some information that we'll enjoy reading. Jerry retired as a butcher. He started as a butcher at about 14 years of age, and I think that he retired at 65. He restored 1969 mustangs - fast backs.
His son by the same name now lives in the same house. He is a great mechanic like his dad. The son works for a ford dealer in Amarillo. Jerry's half sister lives in Pampa and works at the prison with Jerry Pope. One thing a lot of folks don't know about Jerry. While he was in the Navy he received and decoded a message during the Cuban missile crisis. He was on a carrier off the coast of Cuba. He told me that we were within a hair of destruction. (Webmaster's note: There's a very good but old movie out about the Cuban Missile Crisis titled something like "12 Days in May". It's worthwhile to try to find if you've never seen the movie).