Obituary of Jerald P. Harms

Jerald P. (Jerry) Harms, 72, died unexpectedly on Friday, August 26, 2016. He was much loved and will be dearly missed by his wife of 47 years, Linda, and children, Julie and Nathan. Jerry was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Nancy Enright. Jerry was born in Fort Dodge, IA, on September 24, 1943, to Paul and Juanita (Hansen) Harms. Jerry’s dad, Paul, was stationed at Fort Snelling at the time and Jerry’s baptism was held at the Fort Snelling Memorial Chapel. Jerry was educated in the Fort Dodge schools, graduated from Iowa State University with a B.S. degree in Zoology, and graduated from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston/School of Public Health with an M.P.H. degree. Jerry worked as an Epidemiologist with the City of Houston Bureau of HIV/STD Prevention for many years and served on the Houston Medical Strike Team. Since 2006, Jerry has served as the HIV/AIDS Surveillance Coordinator for the State of Iowa. He has also been deeply honored to share work and friendships with members of the CDC’s Low Morbidity Network and with the HIV Subcommittee of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE). When Jerry received the diagnosis of esophageal cancer, Stage 4, the first thought he expressed was immense sadness for how this disease would impact and complicate life for Julie, Nathan, and Linda. His second, immediate thought was profound gratitude for having had the opportunity with Linda to volunteer with troops from the Iowa National Guard and the Iowa Air National Guard in the Enduring Families and Strong Bonds programs, under the leadership of Chaplain Gary Selof and others. Jerry’s sense of humor and his uncanny ability to play with words were attributes enjoyed by others. He appreciated perfection in work, though this skill did not necessarily transfer to the menial details of housekeeping and office organization. Jerry was always incredibly proud of Julie and Nathan. For years, he woke at 4:15 a.m. to take Julie ice skating at the Galleria in Houston. During Nathan’s elementary and middle school years, they celebrated non-school days by riding beach bicycles and flying kites along Galveston beach. In 1996, Jerry and Nathan completed RAGBRAI, a seven day, 432-mile bicycle ride across Iowa from the Missouri River to the Mississippi. Jerry was a pioneer in the “housedad” arena, sharing home time with Julie and Nathan in their younger years. He took active P.T.O. leadership roles at their schools: River Oaks Elementary, Roberts Elementary, and T.H. Rogers. While acknowledging Jerry’s painful journey since his diagnosis, his tremendous courage, and his stamina, we’d like to focus on these two important things: 1) Our heartfelt gratitude to all who wrapped their arms around Jerry during his journey of diminishing health, and, 2) Our collective memories and stories about Jerry, whether it be the silly, the funny, the endearing, or even the annoying. Jerry had not yet shared his health issues with all of those important to him, but for those who were aware of his diminishing health, we cannot thank you enough, collectively and individually, for your love, support, and care. By standing beside Jerry, you helped him stand up and stand tall. From Judy, Jill, and others at Target pharmacy, to the staff and volunteers in Radiology and Chemotherapy, to the team of Dr. Hiatt, Alicia, Bridget, and others, to the ongoing care and concern of Dr. Reyes, to the carefully calculated interventions of Dr. Isaak, Dr. Mohan and Kim, Dr. Kollmorgen, and Dr. Nish, and to all of Jerry’s talented and committed colleagues in the Iowa Department of Public Health, the CDC’s Low Morbidity Network, CSTE, and associated groups: to all of these individuals, offices, and departments, to all of Julie’s and Nathan’s friends and associates, and to those we haven’t named, we say thank you. You gave Jerry a reason to hold onto his sense of humor and to keep alive his ability to play with words. You understood his quest to understand and teamed with him to try to find answers for those “what” and “how to” questions. As we honor Jerry’s memory, we’d love to know the stories you recall and would be honored if you’d like to share an impromptu thought or two, either in writing or during the reflection and sharing time at the visitation or funeral. Visitation for Jerry will be at Hamilton's Funeral Home, 605 Lyon St., Des Moines, IA, on Wednesday, August 31, 2016, 3-7 p.m., with a time of reflection and sharing at 5 p.m. The funeral service for Jerry will be held at the Fort Snelling Memorial Chapel, St. Paul, MN, on Friday, September 2, 2016, at 1 p.m., with visitation at 12 noon. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorials may be directed to TREE (Therapy, Recreation, Education, and Exploration) House of Greater St. Louis, a program offering equine-assisted therapy to children, adults, and veterans with disabilities, www.thstl.org, 332 Stable Lane, Wentzville, MO, 63385; Iowa Public Radio, www.iowapublicradio.org; Iowa Public Television, www.iptv.org; or a charity of the individual’s choice. And, finally, to all: thank you for your kindness.