Contact Us: 518-785-8161
Tribute Wall
Plant a tree in memory of Jeremiah "Jerry"
An environmentally friendly option
Joseph Hood
and 5 others have purchased flowers for the family of Jeremiah "Jerry" Minihane. Send Flowers
Guaranteed hand delivery by a local florist
Loading...
S
Stephen and Michele Conlon lit a candle
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
//s3.amazonaws.com/skins.funeraltechweb.com/tribute-gestures/Candle2.png
Dear Kathy, Jimmy, Stephanie, and Family,
Michele and I are so sorry for your loss. It comes too soon and far too close to another we are all grieving. I remember everyone always speaking fondly of Jerry and all your brothers. May your memories be of all the wonderful times you all shared together.
Michele and Stephen Conlon
T
Tom and Kathy Canastar posted a condolence
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Simone and Family:
I was sorry to hear of Jerry's passing. I knew him from my days with the State Police.
May the Eternal Father have mercy on his soul.
e
The family of Jeremiah "Jerry" J. Minihane uploaded a photo
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
/tribute-images/980/Ultra/Jeremiah-Jerry-Minihane.jpg
Please wait
P
Patrick Minihane lit a candle
Monday, October 1, 2018
//s3.amazonaws.com/skins.funeraltechweb.com/tribute-gestures/Candle.png
Please wait
A
Angela (Minihane) Wright lit a candle
Monday, October 1, 2018
//s3.amazonaws.com/skins.funeraltechweb.com/tribute-gestures/Candle2.png
Peace for you Uncle Jerry.
Please wait
G
Gail Orchard posted a condolence
Monday, October 1, 2018
R.I.P. Jerry. Great Academy classmate. A fine fellow to work with at Loudonville.
He will be missed.
R
Rebecca Raymond purchased flowers
Monday, October 1, 2018
//cdn.floristone.com/small/T96-2A_t1.jpg
Please wait
T
Terry Molinari posted a condolence
Monday, October 1, 2018
Rest in Peace old friend. We had a lot of laughs during our time in the State Police Academy many moons ago. I remember your freat sense of humor.
S
Stephanie Pilot purchased flowers
Monday, October 1, 2018
//cdn.floristone.com/small/S29-5014_t1.jpg
Please wait
J
Jim Minihane posted a condolence
Monday, October 1, 2018
I am thankful to God for the honor, the priveledge and the enormous pleasure of being Jerry Minihane's younger brother. Whenever we were together, whether just the two of us or with our brothers and sisters or friends, there was always an abundance of laughter... and Jerry was always at the center of it. Everyone looked forward to being with him because they knew that they would have a wonderful time. Kathy, Eileen and I would razz him about being "the favorite" of Mom's six children and he would deny it with embarrassed, self-deprecating humor and humility. But then we would tell him that it was ok, that we weren't jealous because he was our favorite too. And that was true. But, although our family lore is rife with examples of his uproarious jokes and pranks, he wasn't just a comedian.
He was a gifted technologist... a genius perhaps. Not everone knows that, while serving with the New York State police, he planned and designed an emergency communications vehicle primarily intended for use during natural and other, unforeseen disasters. It contained every form of communications technology that was possible at the time; conventional radio, television, satelite, microwave and telephony. He intended it to resolve the technological differences between diverse organizations and first responders so their commanders could better coordinate their activities. The NYS Police saw the merit in his idea. They accepted the proposal he submitted and put him in charge of the project to build the first vehicle with the ultimate goal of stationing five of them in strategic places around the state. After he built the first one, he went down to the New York City Police Dept. to demonstrate it. They liked it but had no interest in having one of their own because of sweetheart contracts they had with various communications companies. If they had adopted his technology (this was in the 1990s), they would have had it on Sept. 11th, 2001 when a breakdown in the communications systems of the NYPD, the FDNY and other first responders was responsible for many of them not evacuating the Twin Towers as their commanders had ordered. Hundreds of lives might have been saved if they had Jerry's foresight.
I called him "The Man with the Golden Hands" because there was nothing beyond his skill as a craftsman. He could take apart the internal mechanisms of a 35mm camera, which he did as a side job for a while. He could tear apart an automobile engine and do beautiful body work, which he did for me and my car. He could take apart and reassemble a multitude of systems on an F4-Phantom or F101-Voodoo fighter jet which is what he did as a crew chief in the Air Force. I believe that, if you gave him an illustrated parts breakdown, he could successfully perform brain surgery. There was nothing beyond his skill.
Jerry was a veteran of some very difficult and tense times in American history. He was sent to McDill Air Force Base in Florida along with his squadron of F4-Phantoms in 1960 for the Cuban Missile Crisis. His aircraft provided fighter protection for the bombers and reconnaissance aircraft we had flying over Cuba as President Kennedy confronted Nikita Kruschev and the Soviet Union. Later, his enlistment was extended several months following President Kennedy's assassination as it was thought that the assassination could be a prelude to war with the Soviets.
He was my role model and confidant. My oldest brother, Al, left home to join the Air Force when I was four. My next brother, Pat, left for the Air Force when I was eight. It was Jerry who I grew up with and who influenced me the most. We would watch John Wayne ("The Duke") war movies together all the time. He got me involved with the Boy Scouts and, as he was four years older than me, he taught me a lot and protected me from some of the unsavory types in the bad neighborhood we lived in. One of the most frightening things I ever did after enlisting in the Air Force was to sign a paper requesting that I be sent to Vietnam. I did it because I wanted Jerry to be proud of me. Well.... actually him and "The Duke".
I don't know if he was proud of me, but I know that he loved me. I know that because he told me so on several occasions. And I told him that I loved him. Grown, straight men don't often do that. But Jerry was not only fun, skilled, intelligent and courageous,, he was also sensitive, loving and compassionate. He was a complete man. a role model not just for me but for everyone.
S
Stephanie Pilot purchased flowers
Monday, October 1, 2018
//cdn.floristone.com/small/T246-2A_t1.jpg
Please wait
J
Julie Costello purchased flowers
Sunday, September 30, 2018
//cdn.floristone.com/small/F1-CPP_t1.jpg
Please wait
A
Amy Pass posted a condolence
Sunday, September 30, 2018
My deepest sympathy to all of you. Much love, Amy
K
Kevin Cavanaugh & John Martin posted a condolence
Sunday, September 30, 2018
Our family and staff of the Dufresne & Cavanaugh Funeral Home is honored and privileged to serve the Minihane family during this difficult time. We are blessed to be able to celebrate Jerry's life with you
Share Your Memory of
Jeremiah "Jerry"
Be the first to upload a memory!
About Us
It is important for us to let you know that when selecting our funeral home your needs will be served by Kevin Cavanaugh . That allows us to provide you and your family with the personal touch that is needed at a very difficult time.
Our Location
149 Old Loudon Road
Latham, NY 12110
Phone: (518) 785-8161
Fax: (518) 785-5165
dufcav@gmail.com