Rev. Jerry Lee Maye

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:1)

I find myself wondering what God’s plans were for Daddy’s life?Were those plans realized and lived out to the intents of God, or were they simply distant thoughts, set aside, in fact, for some distant time? The testimonies of many regarding Daddy’s life are likely to be something along the lines of, “He lived life to the fullest”, “Life owed him nothing”. Daddy loved living; he loved life; and he loved explorations in life and living. Did he have a plan for life and living? I doubt it; he just lived out the life that was set before him, probably with the idea in mind that he’d do something grander and better in time – sometimes he did; sometimes he didn’t. What should stand out among those who knew him best, however, is that regardless of the grandeur – or the lack thereof – Daddy was a thinker far ahead of his time. That’s probably difficult to appreciate, but if you give it focused thought regarding any areas of Daddy’s life for just a moment, you come to wonder, “Who else would do that other than Jerry Maye?” Whether it was buying the best looking new car on the lot (with or without plans to pay for it), then immediately driving it north to Michigan or other states to show it off to friends and family, or driving to Georgia to gather a truck load of peaches to peddle about the countryside for the sheer fun of driving and peddling – who else would do that other than Jerry Maye?

If you knew him well, you knew that Daddy was difficult to die down – he was possibly even a menace to society. Yet, the qualities that made him a menace, also made him lovable. He was fun-loving, easy-going, and carefree. He wasn’t known for drinking or smoking, or public rants of profanity, but menacing? Yes, he was! He was smart, I mean really smart, and it took a really smart person to capture his attention – if there were no gains in the game, why play to begin with? Sam told me how to handle Daddy some time ago: “Stick and run, Sis; stick and run!!” Sam knew that the only way to win in the face of Daddy’s intellect was to hit him fast and hard and move before he caught up to you mentally because if he ever caught up, you were in an intellectual fight that you probably couldn’t win. Daddy had it like that! He remained really smart even on his death bed: thinking, plotting, planning, coercing, negotiating. Who else would do that other than Jerry Maye?

Daddy was born on November 24, 1930, during a time when limitations for young Black men born in the south were the norm; yethe chose not to participate in limitations. He was a cheerleader in high school, a sergeant in the Army (Korea), a husband and father, a musician, a minister, an entrepreneur, and owner of numerousbusinesses, all of which made money, but all of which he grew weary over time. 

Daddy’s memory will be cherished by many. He confessed Jesus as his personal savior, prayed for forgiveness of his sins, and departed this life on December 31, 2023, in the evening on New Year’s Eve! Who else would do that other than Jerry Maye?

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