Gerald S. (Jerry) Nash died on Sunday, January 16, 2011, at Overlake Hospital in Bellevue, Washington after a three year struggle with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. He was born in Galveston, Texas, on July 30, 1937, the third son of Roy Lee Nash and Molly Eloise Mosley Nash. He went to school in Galveston before the family moved to La Marque. He graduated from La Marque High School in 1955 and enrolled in Texas A&M where he was a part of the Singing Cadets.
Jerry volunteered for military service in 1958. After completing basic training at Fort Carson, CO he was stationed at Hanford Missile Base near Richland, WA. Through involvement at West Side Church he attended Whitworth College in Spokane. Following graduation in 1962 with a BA in Literature, he began studies at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Kentucky. He met Helen Bengtson in Kirkland, WA during an internship in ministry. They were married in July 1964 and Jerry graduated in 1967 with a Masters in Divinity and was ordained as a Presbyterian Minister. In early 1967, Jerry and Helen attended six months of orientation for overseas church work.
Son, Gene was born in Seattle before the family departed for South Korea. A second son, James, was born in Seoul in 1969. During the five years the family was in Korea, Jerry was director of a Center for American Servicemen in Tongduchon, north of Uijongbu (location of M*A*SH*.) Upon returning to the states in 1972, Jerry studied at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California, and was involved in courses in Clinical Pastoral Education in preparation for work as a hospital chaplain. Furthercourses were completed in Wichita, Kansas, and in 1975, Jerry began 15 years as hospital chaplain at Presbyterian Hospital in Oklahoma City, eventually becoming the Director of Pastoral Care. In 1990, Jerry became the chaplain at Overlake Hospital and Medical Center, Bellevue, retiring in 2002.
Jerry is survived by Helen of Redmond WA; son Gene of Bremerton, WA; son Jim, daughter-in-law, Stephanie, and grandson Nathan of Seattle. His parents and brother, James M. predeceased him. His brother Gene C. and sister-in-law Marie, of Texas City, survive him as does his step-mother, Ruth Nash, Houston; stepbrothers, Joe Holton, Houston; and Bill Holton, Virginia Beach; nieces, Jennifer Goolsby, Renee Nash, and Stephanie Nash; and nephews Roy and Warren Nash all of Texas. He is also survived by Helen’s sister and brother-in-law, Irma and Bruce Heiple, Grass Valley, CA, and their children, Tim and Tanya.In addition to his work at Overlake, Jerry volunteered as a chaplain for the Bellevue Fire Department. For many years he was also a volunteer with the American Lung Association in support of their fundraising bicycle rides. He obtained his amateur radio license (K7GSN) in order to better support “The Lung”.
Family and friends are invited to a celebration of Jerry’s life on Sunday, January 30, 3:00 pm at Newport Presbyterian Church; 4010 – 120th Ave SE; Bellevue, WA with a reception to follow (directions at www.newportpres.org.)
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to:
Newport Presbyterian Church, PO Box 53385, Bellevue, WA, 98015-3385
or the American Lung Association of the Mountain Pacific; 2625 Third Ave; Seattle, WA 98121.