Please consider donating to honor Jerry's final wishes, so he can help save future lives and to provide financial support for his family.

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the loss of Sergeant Major Gerald “Jerry” Davis. To our country Sergeant Major Davis was a dedicated and loyal Soldier and to those who knew him, Jerry was a husband, father, brother, son, and friend. There was something about Jerry—a light, a kindness, and an intensity—that could ignite a fire in others to live up to their potential. He was the kind of man who would drop everything to lend a helping hand and that showed throughout his Military career and in the hearts of those he leaves behind.

During his time in the Military, Sergeant Major Davis completed five overseas deployments and numerous state-side relief missions, including recovery from California wildfires and Operation Hurricane Katrina. During his last deployment overseas, he was diagnosed with an incredibly rare kidney cancer—chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (less than 0.0015% of all cancers)—which is believed to be the result of exposure to depleted uranium while serving in Iraq.

After his diagnosis, Jerry spent the next four years fighting harder than he ever had before, and yet during his most challenging battle, he never wavered in his commitment to helping others. His door remained open to any and all who needed it. In his true selfless fashion, Jerry wished for his body to be donated to the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, to contribute to research on this exceedingly rare cancer and hopefully save future lives before being ultimately laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery.

Unfortunately, the financial responsibility for the donation process and storage while awaiting burial, which typically takes 3-6 months, falls on his family. This cost is now added to the significant debt incurred from his treatment, which was limited due to the rarity of his cancer, and required frequent cross-country travel from Woodland, CA, to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C.

We are asking for donations to help fulfill Jerry’s final wish to save future lives through research for this rare type of cancer and help with the financial hardship that his family faces.