Obituary of Jerry Leander McColley, Jr.

 Jerry L. McColley, Jr. – Lexington – A funeral service for Jerry L. McColley, Jr., 75, of Lexington, will be held at 4:00 PM, Sunday, May 21st, 2023, at Red Bank United Methodist Church, 2909 Old Barnwell Rd., Lexington, SC 29073. Pastor Clay Faulk will officiate. The family will receive friends following the service.

Jerry McColley, Jr. passed away March 7th, 2023. Born in Akron, Ohio, he was a son of the late Jerry L. McColley, Sr., and Betty Lou Johnson. Jerry was a fun spirited and highly intelligent soul who had many incredible talents. There was nothing he could not do or figure out. He found comfort and peace outdoors enjoying gardening and nature. His favorite places were the mountains of western North Carolina, and a specific beach he referred to as “heaven on earth”. He loved being at the ocean with his eldest daughter Michele and her family fishing and relaxing on the beach.  These were very special places to him where many fond memories were made.

Jerry was a beautiful person inside and out. His smile was so stunning it would light up the whole room. His laughter was contagious and he loved joking around with friends and family. He also loved dancing, and was a great dancer, and was always the life of the party wherever he went. He literally lit up every room he entered. Jerry cared so deeply for people, even strangers he met and never knew. He was so kind and generous. He made an impact on many lives. Jerry had the biggest heart. He was a private person, but also very witty and fun! He was fearless and independent, yet sensitive and incredibly compassionate. He loved vacations, cooking, teaching his grandsons how to fix things, reality tv shows, dogs, specifically his dog Sox, who predeceased him. He was strong-willed and stubborn, but those traits defined Jerry. They were part of who he was, and his strength undoubtedly helped him deal with the many life challenges he faced from birth till after his death. Jerry’s strength and perseverance in the face of adversity was amazing and inspiring to all who knew him. He was a strong fighter beating lung cancer and stage 4 throat cancer.  One of his oncologist referred to him as “Superman”.

Jerry is now sailing on a journey to shores that we cannot see. We know that he is free from pain and is sitting and fishing and walking the beach peacefully by the crystal-clear turquoise waters of heaven waiting for us to join him. “Seeing death as the end of life is like seeing the horizon as the end of the ocean." Jerry’s hard life on earth has ended but his wonderful new life in heaven that will never end has just begun!

He was one of a kind and will be forever loved and missed. Until we meet again.

Jerry is survived by his wife, Joyce Ann Rogers McColley; daughters, Michele Chapman (Eric) of Lexington, SC, Melanie Windsor (Scott) of Waynesville, NC; grandchildren, Ives Chapman and Chandler Chapman (Abigail), Kelsea McColley (Kyle), Cameron Hollifield, Carter Hollifield; great-granddaughter, Charlotte. Jerry was predeceased by his parents.

The staff of South Carolina Oncology Associates was tremendous in their support of Jerry and his family. The family would like to thank Jerry’s doctors, who became a second “family”. Dr. Mariangela Rivera, Dr. Woodrow Coker, Dr. Kurt Meyer, Dr. Michael Comer, Dr. Stacy Graham, Speech Language Pathologist, Erica Taylor, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, Dr. Rohan Arya, and Dr. Of Pharmacy Richard Jacocks all provided loving, supportive, and attentive care.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to SCOA CARES Foundation, 166 Stoneridge Drive, #100, Columbia, SC 29210 or to the “General Fund” at Red Bank United Methodist Church, 2909 Old Barnwell Rd., Lexington, SC 29073.