Gerald "Jerry" James Grasmick

Gerald “Jerry” or “AJ” James Grasmick, age 81, of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, passed away peacefully at his home on Sunday, May 24, 2026. His memorial service will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, June 5, 2026, at Reverence Funeral Parlor in Scottsbluff, with Fr. Mike McDonald as celebrant. Cremation has taken place in accordance with Jerry’s wishes. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Arid Acres of Scottsbluff or in care of the family for designation. The service will be livestreamed and recorded on Jerry’s obituary page viewable at www.reverencefuneralparlor.com.

Jerry was born on July 16th, 1944, in Bremerton, Washington, to Marjorie (Splichal) Vernon and was adopted by his stepfather, Solomon Grasmick, in 1947. Jerry’s childhood was spent in Farmington, NM, and Pueblo, CO, before the family settled in Scottsbluff in the mid 50’s. He was a no-nonsense young man with a taste for fast cars and good friends.

In 1962, a mutual friend introduced him to Tamara Wilhelm, who quickly became the love of his life. “Tam and Jer” were married on May 18, 1963, at Salem Congregational Church in Scottsbluff. To this union came their two loving sons, Rod and Darin. The couple celebrated 63 years of marriage this year. Jerry had a successful flooring business in the valley for several decades and a loyal customer base who insisted on his skills and his alone. He was the self-proclaimed “world famous carpet layer”. His work was truly exceptional and always performed with pride and excellence.

Jerry began life anew by quitting alcohol and finding his sobriety on April 13, 1973. He never touched liquor again. Not only did he become sober, but he began to dedicate his life to the service of others who found themselves in the grip of addiction. There is no way to measure or count how many people he helped on their journey. Jerry’s impact on the well-being of our community will resonate for years to come. His AA family became his true second family.

He discovered a love for snowmobiles in the 80’s and he and Tam spent many weekends with close friends riding the trails of South Dakota, Wyoming, and Nebraska. Once their love of snowmobiles began to wane, motorcycling became a passion that lasted the rest of his life. Tam and Jer spent countless wonderful vacations riding the western states with treasured friends. The stories of those trips remain his family’s favorites. During a summertime grass drag race at the Scotts Bluff County fairgrounds (where he always won), a friend made an off the cuff comment calling him “AJ”. All these years later, the nickname stuck and most of his AA family didn’t even know his birth name.

Survivors include his loving wife, Tamara Grasmick; sons, Rod Grasmick of Fort Collins, CO, and Darin Grasmick of Scottsbluff, NE; sisters, Monette Ross of Gering, NE, and Toni Vernon Spencer of Minatare, NE; sister-in-law, Sharlene Bauer of Scottsbluff, NE; brothers-in-law, Richard Wilhelm of Julesburg, CO, and Don Wilhelm of Gering, NE; and several wonderful nieces and nephews who loved him dearly.

Jerry is preceded in death by his parents, Solomon and Marjorie Grasmick; brother, Mark Grasmick; parents-in-law, Helen and Alex Wilhelm; and sisters-in-law, Elaine Ingwerson, Pat Wilhelm, and Jean Wilhelm.