Jerry Washburne

Jerry Washburne, Age 88, peacefully and with much anticipation passed into Heaven on January 29, 2020 after a bout with cancer. Raised in an age where fixing things was a way of life and an electrical engineer by training, few things gave him as much pleasure as removing a cover which said “DANGER, DO NOT REMOVE.” An eclectic man, he excelled as a swing piano player, church pianist and layman, guppy breeder, tomato grower, Boy Scout leader, and at being grandpa the mad scientist. He will be greatly missed by many. He was preceded in death by his wife Donna Sue (Todd) Washburne in 2002 and is survived by four children, Susan (David) of El Cajon, CA, Jane of Antioch, IL, Tom (Lynne) of Evansville, IN, and Jim (Lora) of Leesburg, VA, 15 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Jerry was born and raised in Chicago, IL. He earned degrees from the University of Illinois and Valparaiso Institute of Technology and was a veteran of the U.S. Army. His engineering career involved work in several states and employers including Potter & Brumfield in Princeton, IN. He held two patents. He retired from Vincennes University in 1995, where he had taught technology and engineering courses for a decade. For many years he served as the resident Ranger for Camp Arthur near Vincennes, IN. He was a devoted Christian and an active member of Salem Church of Darmstadt, where he played piano at the first service until his recent illness. A Memorial Service will be held 11:00 a.m. Saturday, February 1, 2020, at Salem Church of Darmstadt, 14134 Darmstadt Rd., officiated by Rev. David Peterson. Friends may visit from 9:00 a.m. until service time. Condolences may be made online at www.AlexanderNorthChapel.com.