Brent came into the world with a bang, and went out with a flash.
COLUMBIA - Brent Gary Jerome died Wednesday, July 28, 2021, while vacationing on Sanibel Island, Florida with his family. On the beach, Brent had a beer in his hand and the love of his life, Kristen, at his side. They watched their two magnificent children, Parks and Eleanor, look for seashells when a bolt of lightning struck and ended Brent’s life at the age of 41.
Born in Janesville, WI, Brent graduated in 1998 from Craig High School in Janesville, where he played baseball, ran cross country, and excelled in basketball. He traveled to Madison and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from University of Wisconsin-Madison, and certification in Secondary Education from Edgewood College, Madison, WI. Madison is where he solidified an unwavering love of Badger athletics, made a strong group of friends, and had plenty of good times with those friends. Even after moving to South Carolina, his annual trip to Wisconsin seemed to restore his soul.
Following college, he moved to Columbia S.C. to work with the Richland County School systems. Brent received his certification for Secondary Principal from the South Carolina Department of Education in 2017. He was certified in Life Space Crisis Intervention and as a Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Trainer. He was a former High School Social Studies teacher in Richland School Districts 1 and 2 and finished his career as a Behavior Intervention Specialist.
Throughout his career in education, he coached boys’ basketball, baseball and cross country. Brent had a close relationship with his father and followed his footsteps into public education. Brent cared deeply about children and worked towards a world where all children were given the opportunity to learn and grow in nurturing environments. This was evident in Brent’s leadership, both at work and in his family. He was a fierce father who loved Eleanor and Parks dearly. Brent tried every day to be a better person and modeled that behavior to his family.
Although neither of them grew up in S.C., Kristen and Brent made Columbia their home. He was a volunteer soccer coach through the YMCA and baseball coach with Trenholm Little League. He was an active member of Downtown Church in Columbia, and led a home group alongside his wife, Kristen. They have been Fireflies season ticket holders since they came to Columbia and loved going to games alongside family and their strong group of friends. He spent many Saturdays smoking various meats to perfection on his simple Weber grill.
Upon his death, five of his organs were able to be donated to patients in need of transplants. Doctors admit that it was hard to find recipients for organs from a guy with his “dimensions” (he was 6’3”). Kristen and his friends in Wisconsin were surprised to learn that even his liver was in good enough condition to save another’s life.
Brent is survived by his wife, Kristen, and their children, Eleanor and Jon Parks; his father, Jon Brent Jerome; his sisters, Kerrie Hinch and Beth Johnson; his parents-in-law, Al and Laura Searcy.
Brent’s Service of Witness to the Resurrection is planned for Saturday, September 25, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. at Downtown Church, 2030 Gregg Street, Columbia South Carolina. The service will be live streamed on the website downtownchurch.me. Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel, is assisting the family.
The family wishes to thank the many First Responders on Sanibel Beach, The Sanibel Fire and Rescue, the EMS Drivers, the staff at Lee Memorial Hospital, the Life Link Foundation and its representatives, and all of the support they continue to receive from friends and strangers.
In lieu of flowers, Kristen asks anyone to donate blood with the Red Cross and/or make a financial donation to a fund that will establish a scholarship at the University of Wisconsin for education students who are passionate about serving at-risk youth in the public school system. The URL to make gifts to the fund is: https://supportuw.org/giveto/jeromememorial.
Memories may be shared at www.dunbarfunerals.com
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