Obituary of Gerald John Rudd

Gerald (Jerry) John Rudd, 87, passed away on June 8, 2024 at his home in Aiken. SC surrounded by his family. He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Linda Lee Rudd of Aiken, SC, his daughter Jennifer Lee (Darren) Wells of Buford, GA, and his granddaughters, Julia and Amy. Jerry was also blessed with two step-sons and a step-daughter, Brad Jones of Snoqualmie, WA, Kris (Wendy) Jones of West Richland, WA, and Shari Soyk of Sandy, OR. Jerry leaves behind two siblings, Peter Rudd of Madison, WI, and Cindy (Peggy) Rudd-Haack of Madison, WI. He is preceded in death by his parents, Harry and Florence (Way) Rudd of Madison, WI.

Jerry’s wife, Linda, was the love of his life. Jerry met Linda at a training course designed to teach decision making to managers.  He always believed marrying Linda was the best decision he ever made. Throughout their marriage they enjoyed many experiences and activities together. Jerry and Linda took several cruises to the Caribbean. Their favorite cruise was a river cruise to Amsterdam, Budapest, and Prague. They learned how to play golf together, and shared many hours of golf on the courses of their home club in Woodside Plantation. Linda always loved finding new restaurants to try, and Jerry went along and was surprised to find how much he liked them, too.  

Jerry was an adoring and supportive father to his daughter, Jennifer. Whether she was on the swim team or playing in the high school marching band, he was there for every swim meet and every football game to cheer her on. He was a devoted dad who was unceasingly generous with his love and time for his daughter.

Jerry attended Edgewood High School in Madison, WI, and served in the Air National Guard. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1963 with a degree in Political Science and a minor in Art. Jerry was a lifelong fan of the Wisconsin Badgers football team. He looked forward to each football season with excitement and never missed a game. The last Badgers football game he watched was on November 25, 2023, when the Badgers defeated the Minnesota Gophers 28-14 and took Paul Bunyan’s Axe back home to Madison. It was the perfect game to be his last.

After retiring from his career as an Executive Level Consultant in Corporate Planning, Jerry spent his time volunteering for numerous organizations: The South Carolina Commission for National and Community Service, the Red Cross, the Aiken Center for the Arts as a board member, SCORE, and Friends of the Aiken Symphony where he secured the grant funds needed for the fifth graders of Aiken County Schools to attend the Aiken Symphony Orchestra’s “Children’s Concert.”  He was recognized by these organizations for his insights and his dedication to their success. Jerry also had a passion for painting, and he took the opportunity during retirement to learn more about the craft and create beautiful works of art for his family.

A Celebration of Life will be held June 25th from 11:00 am until 1: 00pm at the George Funeral Home in Aiken (REMARKS AT 11:30 AM).

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Friends of the Aiken Symphony or the Aiken Center for the Arts.

The Historic George Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 211 Park Ave., SW, Aiken, SC 29801 (803.649.6234), has charge of arrangements.

Expressions of sympathy for the family may be left by visiting www.georgefuneralhomes.com