Jerimiah “Jerry” Lee Myers passed away on Aug. 25, 2026, in Absarokee, Montana, at the age of 77.
Jerry was born Sept. 26, 1948, in Medford, Oregon. He was raised all along Southeast Alaska, mostly in Wrangell, graduating from Wrangell High School in 1966.
He worked many jobs over the years. His friend, Roger, talked him into going to college and then optometry school. He practiced in Kodiak and had a small clinic in Dutch Harbor for a few years that he traveled to every six weeks or so. He raised his family, four kids, in Kodiak and spent 38 years practicing there.
He was very active in the Lions Club, Pioneers of Alaska and theater, in addition to other organizations that he belonged to. In retirement, Jerry and Kris traveled extensively with their home base out of Kodiak. Between them, they have seven children living in six different states.
Jerry wrote: “So how does one find peace in the Golden Years? I don’t know if anyone ever completely does. The body wears out. Friends begin slipping away. The bucket list never quite gets finished. There is always one more road to travel, one more song to sing, one more grandchild to squeeze, and one more sunrise worth seeing. But sitting here today, I realize I have been blessed far beyond anything that little boy in Sitka could have imagined.
“The frightened kid who entered Shriners Hospital with tuberculosis spent years wondering what tomorrow might bring. There were days when I wondered whether I would ever grow up, ever have a family, ever walk normally, ever belong anywhere. Tomorrow turned out to be kinder than I expected. I sang in bars, clubs, hospitals, theaters, churches, conventions and on stages all over Alaska and beyond. I chased dreams from Wrangell to Maui, Las Vegas to Orange County, Oregon to Kodiak.
“I became the first doctor in my family and spent a lifetime helping people see the world a little more clearly. I traveled the world through Lions International as an international director, carrying a guitar, a message, and a belief that people are basically good. I met remarkable souls in places I never expected to see and witnessed kindness in every corner of the Earth.
“I helped build clinics, festivals, community projects, scholarships, eye-care programs, concerts and friendships that enriched my life beyond measure.
“For many years I believed Kodiak would be where my story ended. I was wrong. Then again, I’ve been wrong about a lot of things. Looking back, the roads that changed my life were rarely the ones I planned to take. The disappointments often became blessings. The setbacks became opportunities. The people I thought would stay forever sometimes didn’t. And the people I never expected to meet often changed my life.
“Somehow, all those twists, turns, heartaches, adventures and surprises brought me here with Kris in Absarokee, Montana, to write my final chapter, surrounded by family, music, laughter and more love than I ever imagined possible. She has been my companion, my comfort, my laughter and my partner in adventure. Together we built a life that neither of us expected but both of us treasure. It wasn’t the ending I planned. It was a better one. Amen.”
Jerry is survived by son Abraham Myers and partner Vanessa Crawford, of Kona, Hawaii; son Julian Sterbick-Myers and wife Emily and their children Calhoun Cal, Bennett and Chapman, of Tacoma, Washington; son Nick and (Katie) Newgaard, with their children Kade, Coye and Kellen, of Bozeman, Montana; daughter Alisa and (Dave) Funke and their children Devan and Lincoln, of Lynchburg, Virginia; son Thor Jones and wife Kristen Gentry and their children Skadi and Merida of Brevard, North Carolina; daughter Britta Jones and child Dagny, of Brevard, North Carolina; daughter Sonja and (Sam) Jenko, and their children George and Owen, of River Falls, Wisconsin.
A celebration of life will be held 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, in Kodiak and 6 to 11 p.m. There will be a Warm August Night music fest tribute in his honor at the Kodiak Fairgrounds.
