Jerry Leo Kofford, 75, died Sunday, February 2, 2020 in Tylertown, Mississippi after battling a long illness. He was born May 14, 1944 to Leo and June (Simmons) Kofford in Dodge City, Kansas. Growing up on a farm near Bloom, his parents, a county road worker and a postmaster, instilled a strong work ethic in all of their children.

A basketball and track star at Bloom High School, he was a member of the school's last graduating class (1962). He enlisted in the Navy the following year and served with distinction in Cuba, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, among others. After serving for seven years, he moved to Minneola, Kansas to work a ranch. His horse, Blackie, was a gelding to be envied and later became his son's. He met Mary Ann Copeland (Welli) in a diner and they married on December 29, 1972. The couple moved to Raceland, Louisiana in 1982, where Jerry became a long-haul truck driver. They purchased creek-side property (with bonus gator) outside Tylertown, Mississippi a couple of years later. Jerry began driving for Crete Carrier in 2002 and retired in 2011, having visited all 48 contiguous states and driven almost 2 million miles. He loved critiquing the driving of others, reading, Kansas geology and feeding wildlife.

He leaves behind his wife; children, Clint Copeland, Tylertown, Mississippi, Kelvin Copeland, Garden City, Kansas, and Kyla Trahan, New Orleans, Louisiana; granddaughters, Kristin Copeland, Manhattan, Kansas, Tamara (Copeland) Simmons, Ensign, Kansas, Kasey Copeland, Garden City, Kansas, and Kaitlyn Copeland, Bucklin, Kansas; brother, Dale Kofford, Dodge City, Kansas; sister, Sue Kofford, Bloom, Kansas; nieces, Sheri (Kofford) Mead, Dodge City, Kansas, and Krystal (Kofford) Santner, Middletown, Delaware; and nephews, Steve Kofford, Minneola, Kansas and Bryan Kofford, Goodland, Kansas.

He was preceded in death by his parents, infant brother, Steven Kofford, brother, Gary "Frank" Kofford, and sister, Linda Kofford.

Cremation has taken place and there will be a private family inurnment at a later date.