Jerry Sherman Maris

Jerry Sherman Maris, 85, a resident of the Hillsboro community passed away on November 21, 2022 at the OHSU Hillsboro Medical Center in Hillsboro.

Jerry was born on May 25, 1937 in Santa Monica, CA. He was the third of four children born to Charles Wade and Henrietta Ruth (Sherman) Maris. He moved to a large farm in Myrtle Creek, Oregon as a young child. Here he learned farming and had quite a few adventures. He attended Myrtle Creek High School where he played baseball, shortstop, and was a cheerleader. He graduated with the Class of 1955.

Jerry met his future wife, Marion Swiener, when he flipped a coin to dance with her at a Valentine’s Day Sock Hop at the high school when she was only 15. They soon began dating and following a two-year courtship they married on June 29, 1957 at All Souls Parish in Myrtle Creek. They followed Jerry’s job with the Oregon Hwy Dept in and around Gold Beach. They moved to Roseburg, OR in 1960, and had four children, Angela, James, Cynthia and Anthony. In 1963 they moved to Hillsboro and had four more children, Catherine, Andrew, Amy and Nicholas.

Jerry was a well respected land surveyor all of his life. He had started working for the Oregon Hwy Dept with highway building projects throughout the southern Oregon Coast. As his family grew, he moved on to working for the city of Roseburg and the City of Hillsboro. In 1970, he became an Owner Operator of his own company, Jerry Maris Surveyor, which then grew to M & M Surveyors when his sons came on, then Perigee Surveyors in his later years. As a member and Chairman of PLSO, Jerry was a pioneer for all land surveyors in Oregon and was appointed by Governor Atiyeh to the Oregon State Board of Engineering Examiners. Jerry never really retired and continued to work until this day.

Among some of his notable projects he worked on were the VA Hospital in Portland, The Max Line from Hillsboro to Portland, Portland Airport, Barney Reservoir in Washington County and numerous projects throughout the metro area. You can find his many JSM survey markers on the streets throughout Multnomah and Washington Counties.

He enjoyed spending time with his family, singing by the piano and gathering for big celebrations. Jerry and Marion loved to dance and were poetry in motion on the dance floor. He was a true Oregon State Beaver fan of football, basketball and baseball. He was also an avid follower of the Portland Trail Blazers and would often have both a game on the TV and a game on the radio. He loved reading and often read a book a day on all kinds of subjects. Jerry was a great storyteller, loved the outdoors, camping, hunting and fishing. He was well known for his watermelon seed spitting skills and making pairs of tights for humming birds.

Jerry and Marion feel their world is so blessed by their many grandchildren. They love to regale listeners with stories and pictures of their 65 grandchildren. (One more on the way) Just ask the store clerks, servers and bank tellers around town.

He was preceded in death by his parents and three sisters; grandson, Nathan, and granddaughter, Alicia.

He is survived by his loving wife, Marion, eight children and their spouses; Angela Maris and Greg Sweeney of Bay City, OR, James Maris and Gail Flanagan of Hillsboro, Cynthia and John Wright of Hillsboro, Anthony and Kimberley Maris of Hillsboro, Catherine Cashmere of SoCal and Hillsboro, Andrew and Brenda Maris of Hot Springs, MT, Amy Maris-Volf of Hillsboro, Nicholas and Suzanne Maris of Hermiston, OR. Also surviving, twenty five grandchildren, thirty five great grandchildren and five great great grandchildren; loving sisters-in-law and numerous nieces and nephews.

You played a good game Dad.