December 22, 1948 – March 23, 2024
A beloved teacher, father and friend, Jerry William Pluger passed away at his home in Des Moines, Washington on March 23. Jerry was born to Ione Elaine Pluger on Dec. 22, 1948, and spent his cheerful childhood with her and his grandparents, Bill and Augusta Pluger, on their dairy farm on Pluger Road in Shiocton, Wisconsin. He was the valedictorian of his high school and the first in his family to attend college.
He attended the University of Wisconsin (UW) in Madison and graduated with his teaching degree through UW/Whitewater after student teaching in Wales. He received his master’s in reading from the University of Northern Colorado in 1996. He married Deborah Holt in 1973 and they welcomed their first child, Joshua, in 1974. After camping and skiing in Aspen for several years, they left Wisconsin and moved to Glenwood Springs in 1977. The family grew when Molly was born in 1978, and Jerry was proud to deliver Megan in 1981. Jeremy was adopted from Korea in 1986. Although he and Deb later divorced, they remained lifelong friends.
Jerry began his legendary teaching career at Carbondale Elementary School and later moved to Sopris Elementary in Glenwood, where he taught for the remainder of his 34-year career before retiring in 2011. “Being able to laugh at yourself is healthy and makes life easier,” Jerry once said. “My wish is for each of my children, be it my own four, or the hundreds I have taught — because they are also my children — to be able to find a job that they really love. Getting to laugh, learn, explore and be challenged and excited each day is unbelievable. I try to face each day with my eyes smiling and ready for whatever adventure comes my way. Life is good.”
Jerry was a big kid himself, often saying that he never left third grade. He loved silly humor and took any chance to find the humor in every situation. He had a special place in his heart for Disney and visited Disneyland over 115 times in his life. He admired Walt Disney’s ability to bring out the child in everyone. After his retirement, he moved to the Pacific Northwest to be closer to his kids and grandkids and spent his days traveling to visit friends, with his family, or on the beach in his “office.”
He loved teaching, travel, dogs and the Packers, he wore shorts year-round and treasured his family and friends. He often heard from students who will never forget him and consider him their favorite teacher ever. He was part of a close-knit group of hikers from the Roaring Fork Valley who often walked for days along the coasts of England, Scotland and even New Zealand.
Jerry leaves behind a joyful legacy — his son Josh Pluger and wife Carrie and grandkids Olivia and Dylan of Seattle, daughter Molly Pluger and grandson Charlie Johnson of Tacoma, daughter Meg Pluger of Tacoma and grandson Anthony Cox of Glenwood Springs, and Jeremy Pluger of Tempe, Arizona. He is also missed by Deb Williams and her son Ben and friends and family in Wisconsin and Washington.
A celebration of his life will be planned for the Roaring Fork Valley sometime this summer. Friends and relatives can share thoughts and memories on Jerry Pluger’s Facebook page.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Humane Society in your local area, as Jerry loved dogs, or to any of the wonderful projects by teachers looking for funding on www.donorschoose.org including these projects that were special to Jerry: Equitable Educational Spaces, Sharing of Thoughts and Needs, Always on the Move: Movement Paths for Students with Autism, Photo and Film-Making, S.O.S. Station Refill, ELL Learning Tools for YMHS.