Jerry Yi Avant Jr.

Jerry Yi Avant Jr., 39, is remembered for a life of service, compassion, and steady kindness. A Navy veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard for ten years, Jerry found a calling caring for older adults and worked as a nurse at Pinelake Health and Rehab Center in Carthage, North Carolina. Friends and family said his tenderness toward residents and his desire to give back guided his choice of work and shaped his everyday life.

Jerry lived in the Carthage area with his fiancée, Jill DeGarmo, and those who knew him recall a warm, generous spirit and a love of simple, meaningful pursuits—time with friends, quiet moments by the water while fishing with neighbors, and steady dedication to his patients. He had continued his professional growth as a nurse, preparing for exams and courses to advance his skills.

His family honored him with services at Freedom Baptist Church in Rockingham, followed by interment with military honors at Richmond County Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, the family suggested memorial contributions to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital—an indication of the charitable spirit they wished to associate with his memory.

Jerry’s life was defined by care for others: a Coast Guard aviation electronics technician who later chose nursing to continue serving people in another way. The community remembers him not only for the bravery he showed in a single, tragic moment, but for the steady, everyday compassion he offered to patients and neighbors. He is survived by family, friends, and the many people whose lives he touched through service and kindness.