Gerald Ellsworth Peddicord

Captain Gerald Peddicord, 102, U.S. Navy (retired) died at Grayson Place in Denison on Sunday, October 3, 2021.
Memorial services will be held at Lakeway United Methodist Church, Pottsboro, Texas on Sunday, October 17, 2021 at 1:30 p.m. with Reverend Frank Alegria officiating.
Jerry will be buried next to his wife, Cozy, in Wamego City Cemetery in Wamego, Kansas on Saturday, October 9, 2021 with full Military Honors.
He was born on a Kansas farm November 16, 1918, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert R. Peddicord.
Jerry married Virginia Harnsberger of Newport News, VA, March 30, 1944. They had two children, son, Craig and daughter, Cynthia. Mrs. Peddicord died suddenly January 8, 1964. Mr. Peddicord married Cozy Lee (Pate) Dyer December 21, 1970, in Durant, Oklahoma. She had two children, Richard Pate and Bernice Gray.
Jerry enlisted in the Navy on his eighteenth birthday. After boot camp, he served on the Battleship Oklahoma in the Pacific for a year, then entered the Naval Academy in the summer of 1938, graduating in December, 1941, twelve days after Pearl Harbor. He then served on the Battleship Indiana in the southwest Pacific, during World War II, participating in several island invasions. Following flight training, he flew fighter planes, both prop and jet, from aircraft carriers and served three tours of duty in support of operations in the Korean War. Jerry served on five different aircraft carriers during the course of his Naval career. He was on duty in the Pentagon in the Joint Chiefs of Staff war room during the Cuban missile crisis and retired from the Navy after thirty-three years of service in 1969.
He was awarded the following campaign ribbons and commendation from his service in the wars: American campaign, Asiatic-Pacific theater with three stars, European theater, Navy Unit Commendation with one star, China extended, National Defense Service and the United Nations Medal (Korea).
Jerry graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy December 19, 1941, and received a Master’s Degree in Physics from UCLA in 1951. He was a charter member of Lakeway United Methodist Church in Pottsboro, Texas.
When he retired from the Navy, he took a position as manager of the Tanglewood Resort and Country Club on Lake Texoma and resigned after ten years to become a dedicated volunteer for many community and civic organizations in Grayson County, TX. He was a member of twenty-two local, state and national civic, fraternal and charitable organizations. He had always dreamed of helping to make the Pottsboro community a model community and was known as “Mr. Clean” for his environmental efforts around the area.
Surviving are his son, Craig Peddicord and his wife, Buffy of Canton, GA; granddaughter Kimmy Cousins and her husband, James and their three children, Caroline, Matthew and Alexander of Woodstock, GA; daughter, Cynthia Peddicord of San Pablo, CA; step-son, Richard Pate and his wife, Sandy of Denison, TX; step-daughter, Bernice Gray of Sherman, TX; sister, Rita Groess and her husband, Erich of Denver, CO and several grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Jerry was preceded in death by his wife, Cozy and brothers, Leo and Tom.
The family requests that any memorials that may be made be given to Lakeway UMC, P.O. Box 240, Pottsboro, TX 75076.
Local arrangements are under the direction of Johnson-Moore Funeral Home.
Condolences may be registered to: www.johnsonmoorefuneralhome.net.