After graduating from Odessa High School, Jerry began working at Wooley Tool where he was trained to run a mill and went on to learn how to operate various lathes and metal-working machinery and developed his business around the machine shop.
In 1973, Jerry and Bettie began their company, Reedy Mfg and Repair Svc. There wasn’t anything Jerry couldn’t build from a chunk of metal. A few particular products Jerry manufactured were the Reedy Blow out Preventer and the Reedy Centrifugal Pump which are used nationwide. He prided himself on product quality and design and loved the “thrill of a deal”. He not only developed long term relationships with customers, he considered them as a friend.
One of the things associated with Jerry is that he pulled that green trailer everywhere he went. He said it was “just in case he needed to pick up some money”. Jerry was an avid pilot and enjoyed flying his 210 Cessna. During his piloting days, he had 3 plane crashes and he and everyone with him walked away without a scratch. People said they would rather fly in a plane with Jerry than get in the truck with him. He said he could see things in whole new perspective at 10,000 feet in the air.
He also enjoyed taking long trips on his motorcycle, fishing and loved the slot machines. Every time he went gambling, he drew a crowd by talking the machines into paying off. In 2006, Jerry was diagnosed with renal failure. He went to dialysis every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the last six years. He maintained his will to go back to work until he died.
Jerry was preceded in death by his parents, his four brothers, John, Jess, Jim and Joel Reedy along with his two sons, Brian and David Cochran.
He is survived by his wife, Bettie, daughters, Tammy New and husband Kerry, Christine Cochran of Odessa and June Reedy Hurst of Lubbock, TX.
His grandchildren: Ashley Jones and husband Jim, Morgan Jarrell, Lindsay New, Jarren Hurst and Austin Cochran. His great-grandchildren: Cayden Jones and Kinley Cuevas.
Family will receive friends Thursday, August 30, 2012 from 6pm-8pm at Frank W. Wilson Funeral Directors.
Funeral services will be held Friday, August 31, 2012 at 2 pm Frank W. Wilson Funeral Chapel. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers will be Mae Galindo, Jim Marshall, Kerry New, Jim Jones, Corky Stanley and Terry Fike. Honorary pallbearer, Bob Johnson. Services are entrusted to Frank W. Wilson Funeral Directors.
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