Jerel "Jerry" Sam Chevalier Obituary (1938 - 2022)

Jerel Sam Chevalier, 84, of Bloomington-Normal passed away Tuesday, September 27, 2022, at Carle BroMenn Medical Center in Normal. Jerry's funeral will be at 10am, Friday, October 7, 2022, at Calvert & Metzler Memorial Home, 1115 E. Washington in Bloomington with Pastor Brent Salm of College Park Christian Church officiating. Following the funeral, burial will take place at Woodlawn Cemetery in Clinton, IL. Visitation will be Thursday, October 6, 2022, from 4-7pm at Calvert and Metzler in Bloomington. Memorials may be directed to Martin Health Center at Westminster Village or St. Jude Children's Hospital. Jerry was born in La Plata, MO, on September 1, 1938, to James Robert and Beulah (Wheatcraft) Chevalier. He married Carol June Long on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1966, at Eastview Christian Church in Bloomington. He is survived by his wife of fifty-five years, Carol Chevalier of Bloomington; their three sons, Jamie Chevalier of St. Louis, MO, Joe (Kelsey) Chevalier of Columbia, MO, and Chad (Tonya) Chevalier of La Grange, IL; seven grandchildren, Matthew, Kyle, Charlie, Frances, Grace, Sally, and Atticus; a sister, Jimilee Patterson of Springfield, IL; a brother, Bob (Sandy) Chevalier of Harrisonville, MO; and many nieces and nephews. Jerry was preceded in death by his parents and sisters Juilane (Freeman) Van Houten and Jan (Bob) Patton. Jerry graduated from high school in Moberly, MO in 1956. He attended college at Northeast Missouri State in Kirksville, MO, graduating in 1960 with a bachelor's degree in business administration. While at Kirksville, Jerry was a co-Captain of the Varsity Track team and captured multiple conference championships in the 440-yard run. Jerry worked at State Farm Insurance for 40 years in multiple management roles across accounting and the State Farm Bank, retiring as a Director in 2003. He valued working with people to enable their development and achieve their career goals. Jerry was a wonderful husband, father, and grandfather. He devoted much of his life to his family and their activities. He spent countless hours supporting his sons by attending their football and basketball games, track and cross country meets, musicals, concerts, band competitions, and spelling bees. As his sons were growing up, he volunteered significant time each Fall to serve many roles in the Normal Mites youth football organization. Jerry was a long-time member of Eastview Christian Church, where he and Carol formed lasting friendships. He was a loyal St. Louis Cardinals fan who enjoyed wearing his STL hats, following the team on radio and TV and attending games at Busch Stadium. He had a dry sense of humor and a knack for making people laugh when least expected. Fortunately, Jerry kept that sense of humor even while enduring significant health challenges in his later years. People have recently described Jerry as a kind and gentle soul and the sweetest man. He could be a man of few words, but he made each word count. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and all those who knew and loved him. Please view the obituary and share your condolences and memories online at www.calvertmemorial.com