Jerry Jalenak, 64, of Lawrence, departed this world for whatever lies beyond on January 31, 2025, after a near decade long battle with cancer.
Jerry was born on March 14, 1960, the second son to August (Slim) and Lenora (Betty) Jalenak. He is preceded in death by both of his parents.
He is survived by the love of his life Linda, his child E Lukas, both at home in Lawrence, the child of his heart Chan Wang of New York City, and his brother Wayne (Mary) Jalenak of Maynard MA.
Jerry was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas. He graduated from Wichita North High, Class of 1978 and earned a Bachelor of Computer Science degree from Wichita State University in 1983. Over his 40+ year career he rose to the position of CIO in 2011 and then spent the last 13 years as a sole contributor and NetSuite professional.
In 1988 he reconnected with Linda McComas, his former neighbor and lifelong family friend. On April 6, 1988, they went on their first official date, and 9 years later were married on, April 6, 1997. In 2000 they adopted their child E, being a father to E made him happier than he thought possible. In 2012 Chan Wang came into their lives as an exchange student and filled a Chan-shaped hole in their hearts they didn’t know they had. Proud doesn’t begin to describe how he felt about all their accomplishments.
Jerry was diagnosed with acinic cell carcinoma in 2015 and battled it on and off for almost 10 years. He endured nine surgeries, two drug trials, and so many rounds of radiation that he lost count. He fought the battle valiantly, only conceding when it literally had taken hold in multiple locations throughout his body.
Jerry most enjoyed spending time with his beloved Linda, riding his Harley with Linda behind him, listening to live music, drinking good bourbon, and traveling when they could. Jerry was a sucker for old gospel songs, the blues, red-dirt country, 70’s and 80’s rock and roll – really just about anything. He fell in love with the Tuscany region of Italy in 2018; Costa Rica was also a favorite, but he was happiest wherever he was as long as he had Linda by his side.
There will be a celebration of Jerry’s life on April 26, 2025 at The Bottleneck in Lawrence from 1-3pm.
Please consider a donation to Visiting Nurses of Douglas County in memory of Jerry, 200 Maine Street, Suite C, Lawrence, KS 66044. They provided much care and comfort to both Linda and Jerry during his final days.
