Jerry Hicks, age 86, of Lubbock, Texas, died Tuesday, August 9, 2022, in Lubbock. He was born in a farmhouse on December 29, 1935, in Afton, Texas to Thomas Biddy and Martha Pinkney (Patterson) Hicks. He married Mary Surratt in Muleshoe on January 30, 1982.
Jerry graduated from Patton Springs High School in Afton in 1954. He moved to Muleshoe in early 1955 and in November he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where he spent 21 years. He married Shirley Matthiesen in 1961, and they had three children, Debra, Jeff and Mark.
While in the Air Force, Jerry flew as a navigator, then as a fighter pilot. He served in several stateside and worldwide assignments and flew jet fighters in combat in the Vietnam War. Jerry received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1969. He retired from the Air Force in 1976, with the rank of Major and returned to Muleshoe.
In 1978, Jerry joined the Muleshoe Police Department, where he served for 3 years. After marrying Mary in 1982, he became a deputy for the Bailey County Sheriff’s Office in Muleshoe. In 1988, Jerry was elected Sheriff of Bailey County and served for 9½ years, retiring January 1, 1998. After retirement, Jerry served as a City Councilman for the City of Muleshoe for 3½ years. He and Mary moved to Lubbock in December of 2002, where they resided until his death. Jerry was a Christian, a Mason, a member of First Baptist Church of Lubbock and the Downtown Bible Class in Lubbock. He is preceded in death by his parents and a step-son, Gary Watkins.
Jerry is survived by his wife, Mary; a daughter, Debb Hicks of Cedar Park, Texas; two sons, Jeff Hicks and his wife, Christine of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey and Mark Hicks and his wife, Rebecca of Austin, Texas; a step-son, Dr. Randy Watkins and his wife, Kelli of Keller, Texas; his brother, Tommy Hicks and his wife, Karen of Grand Prairie, Texas; his two sisters, Rosemary Smith of Lazbuddie, Texas and Coralynn Jarman of Lubbock, Texas; nine grandsons; three granddaughters; and three great-grandsons.