Jerald (Jerry) P. House
Jerald (Jerry) P. House
April 28, 1936 — June 1, 2018
Jerald (Jerry) P. House passed away June 1, 2018, due to complications of acute leukemia.
Jerry was born April 28, 1936, in Paris, Texas. He graduated from Paris High School, where he lettered in tennis and basketball. More importantly, he met his future wife — Willetta Gladden. They were married in Paris in 1955. Jerry attended Paris Junior College, Odessa College, and SMU. He served in the National Guard for eight years attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant. After their marriage he and Willetta moved to Midland, Texas, to pursue job opportunities in the oil industry, starting his career on the floor of a workover unit in the Sprayberry Field. Through the ensuing years, he worked as a draftsman, oil field scout, landman and eventually an information and production specialist with Petroleum Information (PI). Jerry worked for PI for 35 years and retired in 1997 as the National Production Manager. He was a pioneer in computerizing oil production data and often spoke of working at the two-story computer at SMU, where he wore a coat because they had to keep the room so cold. He was excited when he got his first desktop computer that had more memory than that giant at SMU. His pioneering work is recognized in the Petroleum Museum in Midland.
Jerry was an avid tennis player for many years while in Houston, garnering a large array of tournament trophies. His favorite vacation was taking the family snow skiing in Colorado at Christmas. He retired to Lake LBJ and the Hill Country in 1997, where he rediscovered his love of golf. In his “golfing retirement,” he shot two “holes in one” and continued to occasionally shoot his age, which he said got easier as he grew older as his number was larger and he got to move up to the white tees. His good times were with his exceptional golfing buddies playing 18 holes at Delaware Springs.
Jerry is survived by his wife, Willetta House; son, Dr. J. Kyle House and family; daughter, Dr. Susan Rohrer and family; brothers William House and Philip House and his sister Nancy Jane House. As Jerry wished, there are no services planned. A memorial fund is being established in his name at Delaware Springs Golf Course that will support Youth Golf. Information will be given when this fund is established. Memorials may also be made to First Methodist Church Burnet.
