Lt Col (Ret) Jerrie Jeanine Hall

Retired Lt Col Jerrie Jeanine Hall, USAF Nurse Corp, 84, a longtime resident of Colorado Springs, entered heaven’s gate on Aug 22, 2023, with her devoted friends at her bedside. Jerrie arrived in this world with a SMILE that glowed throughout her life. She was born to Birtus and Enza Hall on January 30, 1939, in Phenix City AL. Upon graduation from Central High School, Phenix City she completed her nursing degree in 1961 at the Medical Center School of Nursing, Columbus GA. Following graduation, she worked at the Atlanta VA Medical Center prior to entering the United States Air Force in March 1963 to see the world – and that - she certainly did!

Her assignments were literally all over the world serving in a variety of clinical, aeromedical, recruitment and administrative positions. Her Air Force assignments included Whitman AFB, MO, Air Force Clinic in Leon, France. (Of note, on that assignment she had a wonderful opportunity to partner with the French Foreign Legion paratroopers and participated in 4 parachute jumps! Which was remarkable as she was afraid of heights! If this was her attempt at aversion therapy for a fear of heights, it did not work 😊). Following that tour of duty, she was assigned to Chamley-Bussieres, AB, France. Other assignments included staff nurse at RAF Lakenheath, England; flight nurse for the C-141 at Elmendorf AFB, AK transporting Vietnam military causalities from Tachikawa, Japan to bases all over the United States; clinical nurse at Izmir AB Turkey; charge nurse at Tyndall AFB, FL; Recruitment at Hancock, AFB, Syracuse NY and her final assignment as Assistant Director, Outpatient Clinics, USAFA Hospital, Colorado Springs, CO. While there she also completed her Bachelor of Science degree from the College of St. Francis, Joliet IL in 1981. After 20 years of military service Jerrie retired on July 3, 1983, and chose to remain in Colorado Springs.

During her Air Force military career, she was awarded the following decorations: Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon with four Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, National Defense Medal, and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters.

Not only was Jerrie military focused, but she was also community centered. Jerrie was a volunteer with the American Red Cross, lifetime member of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), member of the Society of Air Force Nurses and member of the Colorado Chapter of RVing Women.

Jerrie was preceded in death by her father, Birtus P. Hall, mother Enza H. Hall, and brothers Birtus J. Hall Jr. and Jack H. Hall. She is survived by her loving family: sister, Jill Milner, niece Becky (Drew) Goins, great niece Drew Alyse, nephew Chuck (Randi) Milner all residing in Phenix City AL; niece Enza (Jim) Bombaci, nephew, Birt (Nancy) Hall, nephew Alex Hall, niece Debra (Louis) Tagliatela, all residing in Middletown, CT; nephew Jack (Rhonda) Hall, niece Beth (Jeff) Mead and niece Cindy (Ronnie) Young, all residing in Nashville, TN.

How does one begin to say, “see you on the other side?” Jerrie was an authentic gal without pretense. She had many attributes and as with all of us some areas we would like to do better – for which she readily admitted – and then when discussing, we would all burst out in laughter. But seriously, no one could find a better friend, colleague, or comrade than Jerrie. It indeed was a privilege to call her “your friend!” and if her friend – it was for life! This can certainly be attested to by her AF nurse colleague and friend for more than 50 years, Lt Col (Ret) Mary Littlejohn. Jerry will also certainly be missed by Col (Ret) Fay Parker, previous UAFA Hospital Command Nurse who also served as her Chief Nurse on two separate occasions and she is also especially missed by her beloved friend, Lt Col (Ret) Ida Torquati.

Yes, laughter was so important to her and her friends. Jerrie loved celebrations! If there was a party – let her know as she will be there with bells on. She enjoyed RVing, fishing, boating and generally just “hanging out” with her buddies. Also, there was not a pooch or kitten that she could resist – a real animal lover especially for those with special needs. She loved them dearly. Jerrie was a compassionate, caring and giving individual. All are attributes needed not only to be an Air Force nurse but also as an admirable individual. She will always be remembered for her contagious SMILE that left an indelible imprint of joy on the hearts of all she met. We will miss you deeply but will SMILE with you in memories!

A special Thank You to the Intensive Care Nurses at UCH Memorial Hospital North. These nurses were technically competent but most importantly they were compassionate. Not only did they treat Jerrie’s visitors with compassion and caring, but they also treated Jerrie as a family member by implementing the core of the nursing profession – compassionate care that unfortunately in today’s healthcare system is frequently missing. Some simple examples are their interactions with Jerrie, though not conscious would interact with her to explain everything they were doing such as, “Jerrie, I am going to put some ointment in your eyes to help your dryness” or Jerrie, “I am going to give you some mouth care to make you feel better”, etc., or simply holding her hand or stroking her brow saying “You are safe – You are loved.” Another fantastic example of this compassion is that a small EKG strip of Jerrie’s final moments was preserved in a glass vial and given to the family. We were told that now we have Jerrie’s heartbeat with us forever. A fantastic demonstration of caring!

Jerrie was a member of St Patrick Catholic Church. Services will be held on Oct 4, 2023, at 1000 preceded by the Nightingale tribute. A celebration of life luncheon will follow. In lieu of flowers please donate on behalf of Jerrie Hall to the Pikes Peak Humane Society.