The Deacon George "Jerry" Showalter Memorial Fund was created by a thoughtful friend to honor the life, faith, and lifelong service of George "Jerry" Showalter. As a field of interest fund, it provides flexible support to meet the evolving needs and opportunities across the PACF’s service area, with special preference given to Wood County, West Virginia. By addressing local priorities as they arise, this endowed fund ensures that Jerry’s legacy of quiet strength, hard work, and care for others continues in perpetuity.

This fund is designed to grant the PACF the flexibility to respond to Wood County’s most pressing community needs and promising initiatives. Whether supporting local nonprofit projects, community development, human services, or educational efforts, the Deacon George "Jerry" Showalter Memorial Fund serves as a permanent community resource strengthening Parkersburg and the surrounding region year after year.

Born on October 28, 1937, George "Jerry" Showalter passed away on July 22, 2026. A graduate of Parkersburg High School, Jerry went to work in his senior year as a union ironworker to support his family after his father was injured on a job site. Over a 31-year ironworking career, he built vital infrastructure across the Mid-Ohio Valley and beyond, facing harsh conditions and even assisting with recovery efforts during the historic 1978 Willow Island disaster. He later earned a master’s degree in education and spent a decade as a beloved K–8 public school teacher in Wood County, ending his working years alongside his youngest son doing land surveying across West Virginia and Ohio.

Above all, Jerry lived a life rooted in faith, family, and deep personal devotion. Ordained in 1981, he became the longest-serving permanent deacon in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, faithfully serving his home parish of St. Margaret Mary in Parkersburg for more than 45 years through preaching, ministering, and modeling his beliefs. A devoted husband of 69 years to his wife, Bobbie, Jerry was a loving father to eight children, a cherished grandfather and great-grandfather to 62 offspring.  He was an avid reader, artist, outdoor enthusiast, and lover of simple pleasures like an ice cream cone or a drop of neat whiskey.

Following Jerry’s passing in 2026, a friend established this fund through the PACF. The George "Jerry" Showalter Memorial Fund stands as a lasting tribute to a man who dedicated his life to lifting up his family, his faith, and his community.