Gerald "Jerry" Hanks' Obituary
HANKS, Gerald “Jerry”, age 58, of Wilmington, passed away Saturday, April 19, 2025, at his residence.
Jerry graduated from Centerville High School, class of ’85. He worked 15 years as a machinist for Abco Bar & Tube in Maineville. With the assistance of his wife, and several other friends and family members over the years, Jerry owned a painting business, aptly titled Hanks Painting. He loved working for himself and was highly skilled at painting nicely appointed homes in the area. He was also a proud member of the Clarksville Masonic Lodge #323.
Loving, caring, laid-back, and independent, Jerry had a funny personality and loved joking around with friends and family. He greatly enjoyed radio controlled airplanes, which he often built and collected. He was fond of the western time period and loved watching old western movies and collecting western memorabilia. In addition to westerns, he greatly enjoyed watching a variety of movies with his family, especially comedies. He was a Chevy guy and greatly enjoyed many of the cars and trucks under the Chevrolet brand. Over the years, he owned Chevy Camaros, S-10 trucks, and Chevettes. Jerry and Tina were high school sweethearts, and when they first started dating, he referred to his Chevette as his “Vette”, which he always found funny. Jerry was an excellent cook and was especially known for his ability to smoke meats. His smoked ribs and briskets will always be remembered as some of his best. He was also a big fan of the Cincinnati Bengals and NASCAR, with Jeff Gordon being his favorite race car driver.
Jerry loved the holidays, especially when it came to decorating for Christmas. While Tina focused on the inside of the home, Jerry focused most of his attention on the exterior of the house. He often created amazing themes for the roof and yard, such as making the house look like a gingerbread house. His Christmas displays were large productions, which required planning and time to get together each year. He also loved decorating the Christmas tree each year, and with the help of his wife and family, the tree was always immaculate and bright. With his love of movies, Jerry enjoyed the tradition of watching the National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation on Thanksgiving night and A Christmas Story on Christmas morning.
Jerry was preceded in death by his father, Roger Hanks. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Tina; son, Tim Hanks; daughter, Christy (P.J.) Addison; six grandchildren, Seth Jones, Braydon Bunton, Landen Newton, and Emmit, Chloe, and Oliver Addison; great-granddaughter, Evelynn; one great-grandchild on the way; his mother, Beverly Hanks; two brothers, Bill (Marsha) Hanks and Gene (Lynn) Hanks; and two sisters, Cindy (Mark) Pratt and Karen (Chuck) Zehme.
The family will receive friends from 11 AM to 1 PM on Thursday, April 24, at Stubbs-Conner Funeral Home in Waynesville. A celebration of life service will immediately follow the visitation at the funeral home on Thursday at 1 PM, followed by a committal service and burial in Miami Cemetery, Corwin. Condolences at www.stubbsconner.com.
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