Jerry Dale Dexter, age 78, passed away Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at the Veterans Home of Fayetteville, Arkansas. He was born on July 4, 1947, to Velma Grace Dexter (maiden name Johnson) and Sylvanus “Tuff” Pickens Dexter in Long Beach California. He was preceded in death by both his parents and his older brother Harold Dexter.

Jerry spent his childhood in Artesia, CA, attending the local high school and community college before volunteering for the Marine Corps in 1969. He served as an Aircraft Electric Systems Technician on Navy aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean and the Pacific, and was stationed in Vietnam for a time, specializing in repair of the A-6 Intruder aircraft.

After leaving the service in 1971, he returned to college and found a job working first as a security guard, and then as an audio-animatronic repair technician for Disneyland. He met his future wife, Jennifer Holdaway, who was working as a ride operator while also attending college. They were married in April of 1976 and bought their first home in Cypress, CA. Jerry found his dream job working for Tom McMullen, who owned McMullen Publishing and created/published Street Rodder Magazine, among others. A lifelong fan of hot rods, street rods, and old cars, he was able to meet and make friends in the industry while building some cars of his own.

After years of difficulty, Jerry and Jennifer’s daughter Melissa was born January 1985. A family of three, they lived in Huntington Beach, CA, throughout the 80s and 90s. In 2003, Jerry retired from the publishing industry after working as a writer, an editor, and finally a director for McMullen Argus Publishing. In 2005, Jerry and Jennifer’s marriage ended and he returned to his family’s roots in Mountain View, AR to live out the rest of his retirement.

There in Mountain View he made many friends due to his kindness and generosity of spirit. He frequented the local diner and would pay out of pocket for the waitstaff to have the “right” kind of pens. He would bring candy and presents to the families playing music on the square, and became an uncle figure to a few of them. After years of declining health, in April 2024 he moved to the Arkansas State Veterans’ Home in Fayetteville to receive additional care.

Jerry spent his life making friends, but was always modest about his impact on others. He had a quick-witted nature and was always ready with a joke or tease when around his friends and family. He loved his daughter, his nieces and nephews, and loved playing “Santa” to the children in his wife’s elementary classrooms. He made many friends in the hod rod/street rod community and the cars he built and owned were enjoyed by many.

He is survived by his daughter Melissa “Mel” Dexter and his younger brother Danny Dexter, but also by his dear friends Tiffany Turner Harrison, Titus Turner, Trisha Carpenter, and Raymond “RayRay” Garvie.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank https://nwafoodbank.givecloud.co/donatetoday.

Jerry’s celebration of life will be held at Beard’s Funeral Chapel on Wednesday, November 26, 2025 at 12:30pm, followed by interment at the Fayetteville National Cemetery at 1:30pm.