Leila Jerrell

Leila Jane Jerrell, 90, of Orlando, FL passed away on Sunday evening, September 25, 2022.  An only child, she was born in the Montville Township (Pinebrook), Morris County New Jersey to the late Charles and Hazel (Kerris) Hanson.  Jane was a tom boy who loved nature and playing in the woods of rural New Jersey as a child.  Jane had a passion for the outdoors and love of nature which stayed with her during her entire life.

She was very proud to have been the judicial assistant to a federal magistrate in the U.S. District Court for 24 years until her retirement in 1997.  Prior to that, she served as an administrative assistant to the Orlando City attorney and in the Health Departments of both Orlando and West Orange, N.J.  She also held a realtor’s license for a time.

Jane was a devoted Christian in both faith and practice.  She loved Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, which she joined with her mother in 1967.  During her 55 years at Grace Covenant, she served multiple times as a deacon and elder, chaired the Outreach Committee, and served on the Worship, Congregational Concerns, Bereavement, and Nominating committees.  She was the editor of the church newsletter for several years in the 1970’s.  For many years she also worked to make the church bazaar a success by contributing beautiful handcrafts and helping to organize the bazaar day.  Jane was the Secretary of the Presbyterian Women’s Council, ushered during the first service, and most recently volunteered as a greeter.  One of her favorite jobs which she joyfully and consistently performed each Monday was to make sure that every pew had the right number and arrangement of Bibles, hymnals, and other materials.

In her retirement years Jane found several creative outlets for her artistic skills, such as weaving colorful baskets from paper twists and cloth, followed by carving and decorating gourds into swans, snowmen, witches, and everything in between.  Her love of nature eventually took her to butterflies, where she learned how to plant a garden to attract butterflies, especially monarchs and swallowtails.  She was fascinated by God’s handiwork in the way a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly.

She is survived by her son, Jeff Jerrell, who along with her many beloved friends, will miss her more than words can say.  Her life is reflected in the poem by John Wesley she clipped and kept on her desk –

Do all the good you can,

by all the means you can,

in all the places you can,

at all the times you can,

to all the people you can,

as long as ever you can.

Jeff will receive friends on Sunday October 9,2022 from 1:30 till celebration of life at 2 pm with Candy Vander Weide officiating. Contributions may be made in Jane’s memory to Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches (https://www.youthranches.org).