Obituary of Jerry Nugent

--Jerry Joseph Nugent, age 85, died at home on January 1, 2019, in the arms of his wife and three daughters.

He was born on April 13, 1934 in El Reno, Oklahoma, the son of Arthur and Opal Nugent.  Upon graduation at El Reno High School, Jerry married his high school sweet heart, Geneva Hembree. Their marriage thrived for 66 years. 

As a young man, Jerry enjoyed competing in rodeos, riding bulls and bareback broncos. Jerry enlisted in the Marine Corps early on and was eventually promoted to Staff Sergeant. As a cinematographer, Jerry made many important films, including one at the White House about President John F. Kennedy, whom he met in person.

After 13 years as a Marine, Jerry became a civilian working with the Department of the Army at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington D.C.as a cinematographer making educational films for the military. His movie about AIDS was the first of its kind and won a prestigious award.

Jerry and Geneva had four children, Jay Lynn Earl, Dawnita Sue Golomb, Kathryn Louise Davis, and a son, Steven Uel Nugent; he preceded the couple in death as an infant in Quantico, Virginia. He is buried at Arlington Cemetery in Washington D.C.

Jerry and his family shared a passion for bicycle racing. They often trained 30-50 miles per day together and participated in many races. Jerry became the national sprint champion for his age group in 1983.  Jerry celebrated his early retirement from his career by selling their home in Bowie, Maryland, and buying a 38 foot trawler. As full-time liveaboards, they sailed the Chesapeake Bay, Intracoastal Waterway and the Gulf of Mexico for the next several years, before settling again in Lake Placid, Florida where Jerry was well-known for his menagerie of exotic parrots. They moved to Johns Island, South Carolina in 2016.

Jerry is survived by his wife, Geneva, 8 Grandchildren, Anthony Drula, Nicholas Drula, Justin Golomb, Dana Golomb Brownley, Wesley Davis, Timothy Davis, Hannah Davis Chappell, and Zachary Davis, and 9 Great Grandchildren.

A memorial service for Jerry, officiated by Pastor Marilyn Clifford, was held on January 4, 2019 at Simplicity Lowcountry in Ladsen, South Carolina. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Alzheimer's Association would be appreciated