Sep. 30, 1925 – Oct. 21, 2016: Jerry Vandegrift passed away on Oct. 21, 2016. Jerry grew up in Central Park, Alabama. He was predeceased in death by his father: Erskine Vandegrift, Sr., mother: Lillian Coupland Vandegrift; brothers: Erskine Vandegrift Jr., and Frank Vandegrift; son: John Stuart Vandegrift. He is survived by his wife of sixty two years, Willa Dean Glass Vandegrift; Daughter: Lynn Vandegrift English; Son: James Gregory Vandegrift; Granddaughter: Deanna Jean English; and many beloved nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews. After attending Central Park Elementary, he graduated from Ensley High School where he gained a love for working with electricity from his father, the teacher. He participated in many activities including the Acapella Choir, the Central Park Presbyterian Church was the center of family life and life-long friends were made through the very active Sunday School, choir, youth and young adult groups. He was a Boy Scout, and later he served as a Troop leader and a youth leader in the church. He graduated High School at seventeen and after two quarters at Birmingham Southern, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corp and served to the end of WWII as a Flight Engineer on B-29s. He graduated from Auburn University in 1948 and went to work for Alabama Power. Eighteen years later he began work with Southern Company Services thus remaining with The Southern Company his entire career. His honors include IEEE’s Outstanding Engineer Award and an Electrical Engineer of the Year award. Following his retirement in 1986, Jerry went to Africa to install a generator thus providing electrical power for the first time to the Good Shepherd Hospital in the Kananga area of what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. The system also provided water to the hospital and surrounding village. He returned three more times to install a second generator and then maintained the system over many years. In the Congo he is known as Ndongolola, the man who fixes things. Jerry has served his church faithfully through the years, becoming a Deacon and an Elder and a teacher in the congregation. He worked with diligence on many committees in the congregation and the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley where in addition to committee work, he was a Trustee. He was a faithful member of South Highland Presbyterian Church and a member of the Enquirers Class.Memorials may be sent to: The South Highland Presbyterian Church Mission programs, or the James-Vandegrift Engineering endowed Scholarship in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering at Auburn University. Visitation will be held Monday Oct. 24th at Elmwood Chapel from 5-7pm. Services will be held Tuesday Oct. 25th at 11am at the South Highland Presbyterian Church.