Jerry Thacker

With great sorrow & bittersweet gratitude, the Thacker-Craig, Barnes & Robey families announce the passing of our kind, brave, caring & unimaginably generous father, grandfather, brother & friend, Jerry Eugene Thacker Sr. (83) in Des Moines on March 2nd, 2023.

Born on November 3rd, 1939, in Des Moines to Evelynne DeCoursey & Wilmer Thacker, he became a part of a family of thirteen. Many who grew up with Jerry would call him a hell raiser. He was always known for playing pranks on anyone & everyone he could. Whether it be smashing watermelons or throwing rotten eggs at houses.

In 1958, fate led Jerry to meet his partner in crime & love of his life, Rebecca (Becky) McKeehan. A year later, they married & welcomed their only son & first child, Jerry Thacker Jr. (Sonny). As a couple of years passed, they grew their family with three girls, Tammy Thacker (Barnes), Tina Thacker & Kimberley Thacker(-Craig).

To support his family, Jerry worked as a welder, painter & Drywall Worker, even as an undercover narcotics officer. When the physical demands of those jobs became too much on his aging body, he became a cab driver for the Yellow Cab Company until he retired in 2002. Although he was a hard worker, he always found time to enjoy the things he loved. In his younger years, Jerry was on a bowling league at Air Lanes. He became so good that he bowled a three hundred game & was on the television show "Let's Go Bowling" three times.

As Jerry got older & his family grew, with grandchildren, he focused his time to be more at home by raising fantailed pigeons & growing his immaculate rose garden where his first daughter's wedding was and then later he did daylillies. Jerry loved being a part of his grandchildren's lives & tired to always be the best grandfather. Whether he woke them up at the crack of dawn to doughnuts & hot cocoa to take them pheasant hunting. Watching them play baseball/softball, taking them fishing, or just hanging out at home beating every level of Toe Jam & Earl on Saga.

Jerry is preceded by his mother; Evelyn, his Father; Wilmer, his brothers; Bud, Tommy, Karl, Jimmy & Glenn, his sisters; Colleen, Jeanine & Evelynne, his wife; Rebecca (Becky), his son; Jerry Jr. (Sonny), & his daughter, Tina

He is survived by his brothers: David & Frank, his sisters: Sue & Edna, his children are Tammy, Kimberley, Derek, Doug, and Lynnette. Jerry's Grandchildren: Raymond, Corissa, James, Brian, Jennifer, Christopher, Michael and Jamie. Great-Grandchilderen: Aiden, Jayce & Christian.

Services will be held at Simplify Cremations & Funerals, 4821 SW 9th St, Des Moines, IA 50315 on Tuesday, March 7th, 2023, with the visitation starting at 1:00 P.M.until 3:00 P.M. with a short remembrance service at 2:00P.M.

This is not goodbye, but only until we meet again.