Retired Circuit Judge Jerry Terry of Biloxi died on June 6
Judge Jerry O. Terry, Sr.
Retired Circuit Judge Jerry O. Terry Sr. of Biloxi died on June 6, 2025. He was 91.
A funeral service was conducted on June 11 at Riemann Family Funeral Home in Biloxi, with entombment at Southern Memorial Park in Biloxi.
Judge Terry served for 22 years as Circuit Judge of the Second Circuit District of Harrison, Hancock and Stone counties. He was appointed to the court in 1987 by Gov. Bill Allain. He was Senior Circuit Judge when he retired on June 30, 2009.
Supreme Court Justice David Sullivan of Biloxi recalled trying cases before Judge Terry. “He was a true gentleman, an exceptional judge of character, and had the respect of everyone who came before him in his courtroom. He could be stern and ran a tight ship in the courtroom but had a great sense of humor. We missed him greatly when he retired.”
Court of Appeals Judge Anthony N. Lawrence III of Pascagoula described Judge Terry as “a lawyer’s judge. He let the lawyers do their job and he would do his. I always felt he had a calming presence in the courtroom.”
Judge Terry at the time of his retirement told an interviewer, “The greatest challenge to me is to sit up there and keep your mouth shut and let the lawyers try the case.” He loved the courtroom.
Judge Lawrence recalled Judge Terry’s words of encouragement. “When I would see him, he always wanted to know about my family and my practice. He would offer words of encouragement to me that helped me as a young lawyer.”
Gulfport Mayor-elect Hugh Keating recalled Judge Terry’s mentoring. “He was a great mentor for young lawyers and went out of his way to be polite to them, which made me feel like you were part of the system and respected. It helped instill confidence and it was kind of a rarity.”
Keating, a former president of the Mississippi Bar, said Judge Terry “set a wonderful example for young lawyers to emulate. I learned a lot just from being around him and watching how he interacted in the courtroom, and learned to have a great deal of respect for him. On the bench, I didn’t always have a favorable outcome, but I always respected his ability to articulate all sides of an issue and balance the law before he applied it.”
The first case over which Terry presided as Circuit Judge would lead to a landmark Mississippi Supreme Court decision regarding tidelands. Keating defended the Mississippi State Highway Commission when Andrew Gilich Sr. and Jacobina Gilich filed an inverse condemnation action over the building of the I-110 loop over the beach in Biloxi. The Supreme Court on appeal reversed the jury’s award to the Giliches in a precedent setting case regarding state ownership of tidelands. “It wound up being one of the foremost land title decisions in the history of the state with regard to tidelands law,” Keating said.
Judge Terry came to the bench after 25 years of private law practice on the Gulf Coast. “He was a lawyer’s lawyer. He was the most civil and well prepared practitioner you could ever possibly imagine,” Keating said.
His civil practice was primarily insurance defense. “He was one of the most highly respected insurance lawyers. He had a very, very successful and significant insurance defense practice,” Keating said.
Judge Terry began his career as a claims adjuster for State Farm Insurance.He moved to the Gulf Coast to work as an adjuster after graduating from the University of Mississippi School of Law. He loved the Gulf Coast and never left.
He was born in Clear Branch, in Rankin County, on April 16, 1934, to Joe Walter Terry and Edith Neal Terry. He grew up in Brandon.
His musical talents earned band scholarships to Hinds Junior College and Mississippi College. He joined the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 328th U.S. Army Band. He was part of the Army Band that played for President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Queen Elizabeth II.
He enjoyed boating, golf and woodworking, building cherished pieces of furniture for his children and grandchildren. In retirement, he enjoyed traveling with his wife of 56 years, Annette Phillips Terry, his brother and cousins. He also took up oil painting. His paintings adorn the walls of many friends and relatives.
Judge Terry’s obituary is at this link: https://www.riemannfamily.com/obituaries/judge-jerry-terry.
