Jerry Olachia Elizondo

Jerry Olachia Elizondo, 72, passed away February 3, 2024 at the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah.

He was born March 14, 1951 in Baytown, Texas, one of 8 children to Manuel and Janie Elizondo.

After graduating from high school, he joined the Navy where he met his future wife Mary Gail Rule. They were both in the helicopter squadron HC-6. Jerry and Mary Gail were soon married and after he got a surprise leave and realized they would be welcoming a baby daughter whom they named Christy. He stayed in the Navy, both active duty and reserve through 1992. He was stationed mostly at Norfolk, Va and even served in Operation Desert Storm with the helicopter squadron HAL-4.

After retiring from the Navy, he and his family continued to live in Virginia where he lovingly endured his daughter's horse craziness by taking her and her 3 horses to rodeos and trail rides. In 1998 he moved his family back to Texas just in time for his daughter to meet her future husband. At their wedding he tried to act tuff but Jerry was actually a big ol softy. He was famously known for saying to the groom "She's your problem now".

It wasn't too many years after that that he started driving cranes and moving him and Mary Gail all over the country on construction jobs. He worked anywhere from Pennsylvania to Florida, and even clear out to Nevada. But it was on one special job that led them to Green River, Wyoming that Mary Gail fell in love with a house they were renting and decided to make it their permanent home. It didn't hurt that there were wild horses not too far away to show their daughter and son-in-law when they came to visit. Jerry lived in that home until he passed away.

Survivors include his daughter Christy Simmons and husband Ken; brothers Robert, David, Albert; sister Janie; as well as his many nieces, nephews, friends and coworkers that will miss him dearly.

He is preceded in death by his father Manuel, mother Janie, brothers Manuel, Louis, and Joel, and his beloved wife Mary Gail.

Services will be at Fox Funeral Home on Saturday February 17th at 11am.

Funeral services with military honors will take place at 11:00am, Saturday, February 17, 2024 at Fox Funeral Home, 2800 Commercial Way, Rock Springs, WY.

Condolences cab be left at http://www.foxfh.com.