Jerry Lynn Slocum

Jerry Lynn Slocum, 59, passed away April 25, 2023 after a courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease and MSA since 2014. Jerry was born May 11, 1963 in Carroll, IA to Bill and Deanna Slocum. He graduated from Scranton Consolidated High School, Scranton, Iowa in 1981. He then attended Morningside College and Iowa Central Community College where he played baseball. He graduated from Northeast Missouri State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education in 1986 while also playing on the baseball team.

Jerry married his wife Kelli on September 19, 1992. Their son Jay was born May 14, 1994, and daughter Cori on October 22, 1997.

After graduating from NE Missouri State University, Jerry worked as a Personal Trainer and Sales Associate for New Life Fitness World in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. In 1989, he purchased a run-down softball field in North Liberty and renovated it into the legendary Penn Way Park, with a “Green Monster” outfield wall in center field, similar to Fenway Park in Boston. At this time, Jerry also started working in the sports ticket brokerage business. He created his own ticket brokerage company, Prime Time Tickets, and became known as the “Iowa” ticket connection for large ticket brokers across the country, providing premium and hard-to-get tickets for any Iowa-related sporting event.

Jerry was an active sports participant his entire life. He was a three-sport athlete in high school (football, basketball, and baseball), with multiple all-conference team recognitions. He played intercollegiate baseball at Morningside College, Iowa Central Community College, and Northeast Missouri State University. He also participated in triathlons and marathons; multiple RAGBRAIs; 24-hour running relays in Oregon, Utah, and Colorado; softball leagues; and volunteered many years as a youth baseball coach.

He was a frequent traveler to sporting events nationwide, including Super Bowls, World Series, professional boxing events, college bowl games, NCAA Final Four, college wrestling championships, College World Series, PGA golf tournaments, NFL football, Major League Baseball—virtually any major sporting event. Jerry was a dedicated Iowa Hawkeyes fan, attending NCAA basketball tournament games and Rose Bowls in 1982, 1986, 1991, and 2016. Jerry was also a loyal St. Louis Cardinals fan, attending many regular-season games, spring training in Jupiter, Florida, and the World Series in 2004, 2006, and 2011. He, Kelli, and the family also enjoyed travel domestically and internationally, including trips to Belize, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Italy, Mexico, Canada, and the Dominican Republic.

Jerry’s outgoing personality and gift for being where the action was led to many entertaining “brush with fame” encounters. Among the people he met were Muhammed Ali, Bob Gibson, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Darryl Strawberry, Wayne Gretzky, Ozzie Smith, Hayden Fry, Paul Pierce, Casey Wiegmann, Bryce Paup, Dallas Clark, Deion Sanders, Ed Podolak, and Tommy Lasorda.

Jerry is survived by his wife, Kelli Slocum of Coralville, IA; his son, Jay Slocum, of Des Moines, IA; his daughter, Cori Slocum of Iowa City, IA; his parents, Bill and Deanna Slocum of Carroll, IA; his siblings, Robert Slocum (Linda Perez) of Marengo, IL, Dan Slocum (Cindy) of Carroll, IA, and Kristy Rosenthal (Jason) of West Des Moines, IA; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Kerri and Dennis Larson of Jesup, IA; aunts and uncles: Shirley Disney, Linda Reed, Jane Heuton, Lonnie and Lois Heuton, Connie Heuton, and Harold and Betty Wilson; nieces and nephews: Whitney McGee, Amy Forhan, Holly Slocum, Sophia Slocum, David Slocum, Abby Rosenthal, Brady Larson, and Trevor Larson; and many cousins and relatives.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, May 2, 2023 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway, 3601 Westown Parkway in West Des Moines, Iowa and the funeral service on Wednesday, May 3 at 10:00 a.m. at Faith Lutheran Church, 10395 University Ave. in Clive, Iowa. Burial will follow at Scranton Township Cemetery in Scranton, Iowa.

Gifts may be made to the University of Iowa Department of Neurology’s Movement Disorders Fund in memory of Jerry Slocum at
memorials here .

Condolences may be expressed online at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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