Jerry spent his childhood in Penawawa, Washington, where his family operated the first farm off the main road offering “U-pick” peaches, nectarines, and cherries. In his youth, Jerry formed friendships with the itinerant workers who traveled the rails and worked on his family’s farm. These men shared stories of their journeys and lives, leaving a lasting impression on him.
Along with the fruit trees, Jerry’s family also had a milking cow and pigs. Jerry loved to tell the tale of one particularly clever pig who, realizing that greener pastures lay beyond an electric fence, would run towards the wire, squealing in anticipation, knowing that a few shocks were worth the green on the other side. Like that pig, Jerry wanted to escape the farm.
Jerry fulfilled that dream when he left to earn a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at the University of Idaho. After he completed his degree and married Donna Bauer, they lived in several states and eventually moved so Jerry could pursue an MBA at Harvard (though he never used the phrase “Harvard MBA”). After having two daughters, Jerry and Donna purchased an earth-moving equipment business in Portland, Oregon. Thus, the Trail Equipment Company was born.
As his daughters grew older, Jerry had the time to reengage with his passion for education, taking classes in architecture, history, and literature. Eventually, he decided to formalize his education and entered Reed’s master of arts in liberal studies program. He loved taking these classes so much that he was reluctant to complete his thesis, becoming a long serving student at 10 years.
Eventually, Jerry did finish his thesis, which he wrote on Galileo with advising by Professor Thomas Wieting [math 1965–2016]. Exercising his mind would always be important to Jerry, but he was equally passionate about biking around the world (in New Zealand, France, and the Czech Republic), earning top yearly mileage as a Wheelman club member at 80 years of age.
Jerry’s interest in people often led him to quietly offer financial support, whether to help someone in acute need or to serve as a primary backer of their community outreach efforts. He is survived by his loving wife of 71 years, Donna Lee Smith, and daughters Marsha and Christine.
![Photo of Professor Roger J. Porter [English and humanities 1961–2015]](https://www.reed.edu/reed-magazine/in-memoriam/assets/images/2026/Roger-J-Porter.jpg)
![Photo of Professor David Sacks [history 1986–2015]](https://www.reed.edu/reed-magazine/in-memoriam/assets/images/David-Sacks-obit-photo.jpg)
