Jerry E. Kinman, 83, passed away peacefully Sunday, July 21, 2024, with his wife Carol lovingly by his side.

Jerry was born the eighth of 11 children to Hiram and Pearl Kinman in Williamstown, Ky., on Aug. 29, 1940. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1962, where he earned his "Jump Wings" as a paratrooper. During the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, Jerry's unit was placed on DEFCON 2 and awaited the green light to deploy into communist Cuba as the world hung on the brink of possible nuclear war. An expert marksman, Jerry later served as a military policeman before he was honorably discharged in 1964.

Following his military service, Jerry's friends and relatives decided it was high time he got a girlfriend. They set him up on a blind date with a fun-loving brunette with an easy laugh and magnetic personality. "Jerry and Carol seemed meant to be," says Carol Ann Howard, who arranged the date. After dating for a year, Jerry revealed his inner romantic when he popped the question on Valentine's Day. The couple married the following year on April 30, 1966.

Jerry and Carol went on to have three children: Jeremy (1969), Aaron (1973), and Brandon (1975). He worked as a machinist for more than 40 years at Kirk & Blum to provide for his family. Jerry was also a talented musician; he played the fiddle, guitar, and a few tunes on the piano. Jerry shared his love of music with his sons, who adopted his passion and, in turn, have now passed that joy on to their own children.

Throughout the years, Jerry enjoyed his after-work ritual of popping in first to Seven Oaks and later the Villa for a drink with friends. There, Jerry, usually a quiet man, would transform into Norm from Cheers!, and regale his fellow bar patrons with politics or the latest University of Kentucky game. A Kennedy Democrat, Jerry was often fond of saying, "Big business rules the world," and, of course, his familiar catch phrase, "It's a modern-day world."

Jerry enjoyed watching John Wayne movies, Cincinnati Reds games, and tennis and golf. His true love, however, was the Kentucky Wildcats. Jerry's UK hat collection alone rivaled that of any well-heeled woman's shoe closet. In his golden years, he enjoyed lounging in his recliner next to his bucket of chocolates and being known as the sweet old man of the neighborhood who waved at passers-by.

Jerry was a member of the Sheet Metal Workers Local 183, the Loyal Order of Moose, and the American Legion Post 203.

Jerry is survived by his loving wife, Carol, of 58 years, and their children: Jeremy, and his wife Susan; Aaron, and his wife Kristen; and Brandon, and his wife Rachel Richardson; as well as six grandchildren: Curtis, Corbin, Klara, Caleb, Grace, and Gwen. He is survived by sisters Helen Rae Greenwell, Nadine Blackburn, Jo Ann Sayers, Nancy Goodrich, and Janice Schmaltz; and brother Roger Kinman.   He is preceded in death by his parents Hiram and Pearl Kinman, sisters Kathleen Rekers, Hilda Webster, and Peggy Kinman; and brother Clayton Kinman.

Visitation will be held from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, July 26, 2024, at Swindler & Currin Funeral Home at  214 W. Southern Ave., Covington, Ky. 41015, with service to promptly follow at 11:30 a.m. Burial Floral Hills Cemetery

In Jerry's memory, donations may be made to the American Legion Post 203, 3801 Winston Ave., Covington, Ky. 41015.