Jerry Grandon Tew

Jerry Grandon Tew, 82, of  Durham, NC passed away peacefully on July 8, 2022 at UNC Hospice Hospital in Pittsboro, NC after an extended illness of Parkinson’s.  He was born in Godwin, NC, the son of Earl and Minnie Tew.  In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his brother Jack Tew, sister-in-law Annette Tew and brother-in-law Sherman Canter.  He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Idell Autry Tew; son Grant Tew (Elizabeth) grandchildren, Julie (Andrew), Jamie and Geoffrey; son Stephen Tew (Edith) grandchildren, Ashleigh, Heather, and Connor; and his beloved sister, Edna Tew Canter as well as many special nieces, nephews and cousins. 

           After graduating from UNC-CH in 1962, with an AB Chemistry degree,(and becoming an avid Tarheel fan), Jerry accepted his first professional job in charge of the experimental dyeing section at Burlington Industries in Greensboro.  From there, he became Lab Manager at AATCC National Headquarters in RTP, then Director of the color matching laboratory at Beanunit Corporation, and later manager of Bancroft’s color testing laboratory.  For a while he was a technical sales representative for Finetex,Inc.  He later accepted a position again at AATCC in RTP where he worked as Laboratory Director and later Technical Director until his retirement in 2002. 

          Jerry was a very devoted son, husband, father, grandfather (Dada), brother and friend, always putting others before himself.  He welcomed both daughter-in-laws with open arms and never missed an opportunity to cheer on his grandchildren.

          Jerry was an active church member of Parkwood Baptist and later Hope Valley Baptist Church serving  in many capacities including Sunday School Teacher, Deacon  as well as  various committees.  He worked on many projects with Civitans and was especially proud of his and Idell’s service as Guardian Ad Litems in Durham, NC.

          Jerry had many passions such as fishing, hunting, gardening, cooking and repair work.  He loved fishing with his sons, extended family and mother-in-law who brought out his competitive edge.  He especially enjoyed gardening and always had plenty to share.  Jerry was known for his blackberry jelly, cheesecakes, peanut brittle and barbecue.  He could repair anything and loved the opportunity to figure out how things work. 

          After retirement, Jerry and Idell  continued to enjoy Tarheel sports, extended travel as well as many family vacations. 

          He was loved dearly and will be greatly missed by a host of family and friends. 

          There will be a visitation with the family at Hall-Wynne Funeral Home, 1113 W. Main St., Durham on July 16, 2022 at 1:00 pm followed by a service to celebrate his life at 2 PM.  Burial will follow in the Markham Memorial Gardens, Chapel Hill, NC.

          In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Hope Valley Baptist Church, 6900 Garrett Rd.,Durham, NC 27707; National Parkinson Foundation, 1501 N.W.9th Avenue/Bob Hope Road, Miami, Florida 33136; or Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina,1924 Capital Blvd.,Raleigh, NC 27604.