Jerry William O'Rear

Jerry William O’Rear went peacefully to his heavenly home on Monday, February 20, 2023. The family will host a celebration of Jerry’s life on Saturday, March 4 at 11:00 a.m. at First United Methodist Church in Arlington with a reception following. Wade Funeral Home is coordinating services. In lieu of flowers, donations to River Legacy Foundation in Arlington (click here to donate) or Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch in Amarillo (click here to donate) as an expression of sympathy are appreciated.

Jerry was born April 30, 1940 in Dallas, but Denton was his hometown and where he was raised. He graduated from Denton High School and the University of North Texas, where he was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He married his high school sweetheart, Margaret Hundley, in 1962 and they remained life-long friends with many of their Denton High classmates. Go Broncos!

He went all-in on his hobbies and interests. Whether cars, boats, motorcycles, hunting or fishing, his mantra was “Man with the Most Toys Wins”! His passion for cars started when he got his driver’s license at age 14 with his first car, a 1954 Ford. His work ethic was evident early on – working his way through Denton mowing lawns, working as a gas station attendant, and repairing cars at Brown & Brown Body Shop (furthering his love of cars and cold beer). He was introduced to the two loves of his life in the spring of 1958, his wife Margaret and his 1958 Ford. He moved onto Pontiacs after that but stayed true to Margaret until the end.

His passion for toys evolved into a three-decade long journey beginning with boating. Starting with a 16-foot runabout named Cristy O. and ending with a 42-foot Cruiser named MoJo III, his fleet encompassed numerous shapes and sizes in between, as long as it had a motor. Most of the time was spent cruising or anchored up with friends enjoying the “beaches” of Lake Texoma. Along with the boats came a lake house where many a family lore originated while hosting barbeques, playing games and spending hours talking and laughing around the firepit.

Upon retirement from boating, Jerry and Margaret joined a Harley Davidson motorcycle “gang” with many of their friends from the lake. While they enjoyed riding locally on the weekends, they also saw much of the southwest on two wheels, attending rallies from Arkansas to New Mexico, including one last 3,500-mile ride from Texas winding through New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah at age 69. In 2009, he hung up his leathers and picked up another type of two-wheeler with bicycling. He would bike 20 – 30 miles several times a week, exploring the trails of River Legacy Park in Arlington, coming home with tales of bobcats and other creatures on the trails and, of course, making friends along the way.

To fund his multitude of toys, he and Margaret build successful businesses with Metropolitan and Apex Insurance Agencies. In 1970, he started the original agency in Arlington and many of his employees and customers were long tenured, building loyalty on both sides of the business. He sold the business in 2010, staying on as a consultant until he fully retired in 2012 after 42 years in the industry.
Jerry will forever be remembered for his ornery streak and mischievous sense of humor. He is known for entertaining friends – and the occasional stranger – at parties with his tales and stories, dispensing valuable wisdom late into the evening. He will be dearly missed by those of us lucky enough to know him.

He was preceded in death by his mother and father, Anita and Clifford O’Rear. He is survived by his loving wife, Margaret; sister, Jane Haynes; children, Cristy Duke and husband Don; Cliff O’Rear and wife Deana; granddaughter, Olivia Duke and grandsons, Will, Wes and Wyatt O’Rear and his faithful four-legged companion, Maggie.