Roll Call Tribute

Jerry Wallace Nicks, LTC USA (Ret) 

July 6, 1929 - July 16, 2024 

Jerry Wallace Nicks, 95, of San Antonio, Texas, passed away on July 16th, 2024, in Wimberley, Texas. He was born on July 6th, 1929, in Beaumont, Texas, to Greta (Benton) and Clarence C. Nicks. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Spencer Nicks, his son, Wayne Nicks, and his daughter and son in law, Lisa Nicks and Phillip Crabtree.

Jerry was an amicable fellow, a straight shooter - honest, quiet, and mindful of social curtesy and equity. He grew up a free-range child in east Texas landscapes with fond memories of roaming the Big Thicket, swimming in an old quarry, and riding his Shetland ponies. He attended Beaumont High (class of ‘46), where he was on the swim team, and stayed out of trouble with a newspaper route and life guarding at Magnolia Pool. Upon graduation he hitchhiked to Texas A&M, where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets for three years, before getting an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point (class of ’53) He particularly enjoyed his time on the gymnastics team at West Point. As he advanced in military procurement he got his MBA at Babson College in Boston, MA (1966).

Barbara and Jerry met at the Beaumont Public Library where she worked summers while on break from LSU. After his commissioning in the army, Jerry was stationed in Japan where she joined him for a storybook wedding (1953). They were avid hikers and Volkeswalkers, traversing trails all over Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Wyoming. For many of these hikes Jerry carried his metal detector and was active in the San Antonio Metal Detecting Club. Long time members of Alamo Heights United Methodist Church, Jerry served on the financial committee, ushered, enjoyed his men’s Bible study, and was a regular at lunch bunch. Jerry loved Rachmaninov and Johnny Cash, but his favorite song was “Tradition” from the musical Fiddler on the Roof. He was an avid handball player for many years, and segued into masters’ swimming when his back declared enough! Until his final days he was highly disciplined in his stretching and calisthenics.

Upon his military retirement (1974), Jerry served as Vice President of Operations at Southwest Texas National Bank (now Bank of America). From bean counting to pigeon control, he enjoyed the challenges of the job. When he left the bank (1982) he was an accountant for some small businesses - leaving before he lost his mind in their tiny back offices. He went to work part time for H&R Block, where he developed a loyal yearly following - some of them widows who subsequently asked him to manage their financial affairs.

He survived persistent bouts of skin cancer, a lightning strike in army training, tours in Korea and Vietnam, and with tremendous support from Barbara, lived with dementia for many years. As the angels tapped his shoulder, it’s highly likely he hung in there (until the age of 95), so his life insurances would be paid off! His mama would be proud!