Jerry was born on 08/24/1949 in Pueblo, Colorado to his parents JW Westbrook and Ida Marie Chimento Westbrook at Corwin Hospital. He and two younger sisters, Mildred “Millie” and Anida were planting the Westbrook name in Colorado for the first time. Jerry’s mom, Ida, grew up in Pueblo, while his dad, JW “Jake” grew up in East Texas. Jerry grew up with parents who met thanks to the national needs of WWII. His mom was a nurse, and his dad was a US Navy PB-Y Catalina radio operator.

While attending high school at Aurora Central, he met his wife, Ellen. Together they shared an insatiable love of music and the world at large as it unfolded in front of them. In the Spring of 1970 Jerry and Ellen were married. They bought a house four years later where they settled in Aurora, CO to raise their kids. But you know this from Ellen. They also lived in Steamboat Springs, CO, briefly in Helena, MT, and later in, Denver, CO, and other locations in Aurora, CO. All locations involved the outdoors, music, and a love of life.

Jerry worked many jobs over the years, but he settled into a 30 plus year career with the US Army National Guard and Reserve as both an Active Guard Reservist (AGR) and a dual status US Army Reserve Civilian and actively drilling member. Ultimately representing the Signal Corps. He was a fan of all things mechanical, to include as a small representation, his BMW motorcycle he purchased in 1969 for $1,003.00, his 1972 Ford Bronco, and a long lineage of Ford products. The sky wasn’t sky blue but instead Ford blue. He took his family camping near Stagecoach Reservoir southwest of Steamboat Springs, CO as often as possible. There was his unsatiable love of history and telling people about it if you did or didn’t ask. He was a lifelong student of the US Army, outdoors, music, history (military or otherwise), and enjoying family.

It was in his home in Aurora that he passed, unexpectedly, but at peace. At home, where he raised two kids and watched eight grandchildren laugh and play and where he was only 18 months behind his wife Ellen in leaving this mortal world. He will be missed.