Jerome Job Kirkpatrick ’68

Jerome Job Kirkpatrick ’68 died of esophageal cancer on June 19, 2024, at his home in Mill Valley, California. Jerry came to Dartmouth from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where he was a National Merit Scholarship finalist and Eagle Scout, active in student government, and captain of the football team. At Dartmouth he was known as brilliant, hilarious, enigmatic, and unpredictable. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and a history major and was best known for his football career. Jerry was small for a guard (176 pounds soaking wet) but made up for it in technique and ferociousness. Nothing bothered him: Just before the 1967 Harvard game against nationally known Don Chiafaro, Jerry said, “Chiafaro, Mia Farrow, they are all the same to me.” Because he morally objected to the Vietnam War, he refused to take the oath of induction when he was drafted in 1969. After Dartmouth Jerry received his law degree from the University of California Berkeley and was admitted to the California bar in June 1975. One friend noted, “Jerry was a passionate reader, and he could converse tirelessly on almost any topic. I can’t think I ever encountered a sharper mind, quicker wit, or stronger intellect. His memory was nothing short of encyclopedic.” He married Sandra Lamke in June 1972; she passed away in 2018. Jerry is survived by sister Kit, son Vincent, daughter-in-law Rose, and two grandchildren.