Jerry Lynn Trull, age 76 of Black Mountain, NC, passed away on Saturday, December 6, 2025.
Jerry was the son of Gerald Trull and Catherine "Doodle" Wood and a native of New York but moved here to the mountains as a child with his family to start a new life. His grandmother and mom were raised in this area. He was a great guy who was willing to give you the shirt off his back. He served 19 years in the military. He was just a child when Vietnam was going on and the draft hit. He thought himself joining the Navy would save him some heartache and scares as he didn't think they would see as much action as the Army who was drafting. Boy, was he wrong - they were the first to be sent to war. He then did another tour by choice and enlisted in the Army where he did his second tour. He later on went on to do Operation Desert Storm and he was in a very special mission with Bob Stiles & Daniel McColligan where they were sent on the opps side to hide & create a satellite out of scraps they could find. So they could intercept the enemy's plans to drop in on our troops nearby. They were successful in this special mission & helped us win the war.
He came home to have two children - Catherine Wenzel (myself) and my baby brother Shawn Trull was born much later. I on the other hand had stuttering issues from missing him as a child while he was away on tours. He then decided to start his new career as a police officer with the Andrews PD. He served 20 yrs as a public service officer, detective and Chief of Police of Murphy NC, until retirement. He started in Andrews as a regular cop, then moved up in rank and ended up being the Chief of Police of Murphy as well as a detective and forensics expert that worked directly with the FBI as well as the CIA. He had such a good heart that when he was chosen to be Chief, he said ONLY if Larry Payne can be one with me. He was a fair cop, and SOO many people over the years have thanked me for him either locking them up & saving their lives or letting them go and giving them chances to do differently and change their lives as well. He retired from the police force with honors as well.
It didn't take him long to decide to go back to college to become a better artist. He loved to paint and I still have some of his works. He graduated and they offered him a job as a professor at Western College to teach his amazing skills to others. He turned it down due to personal life related reasons because my mom hated him being gone all the time. He loved to play the guitar and the drums and harmonica. He played in a band in school and it followed him his entire life. He's the reason I love music of ALL kinds. He was a single father for many years and I appreciate the efforts he made to return me from the west coast to be home with him again and he gained custody of us. My mom and he later reunited for the rest of their lives. He was married to the late Audrey Trull (originally Audrey Bryant) and I watched that man fight many battles outside of the warzone in life. He taught me how to be a strong female and maybe I do come off a little tom boyish but heyyyy I'm Daddy's little girl and I wouldn't have it any other way. He was the one person I knew without a shadow of doubt I could depend on for anything in life. He helped me and Anthony Wenzel (his adopted son, my husband) raise our son Conner as a baby, as we were just babies ourselves.
He loved camping, hiking and anything to do with the outdoors and my Cherokee Culture he wanted me to know about and taught me so much about it. He taught me how to be tough. How to be humble. How to not take anyone's crap and to always know my worth. I will forever and always be Daddy's little girl. He called me FuzzyBoo because I was covered in peach fuzz when I was born, he said and he called me that my entire life. Knowing I'll never hear him say "I love you, Fuzzy" breaks me inside but I know he's with me right now, guiding me, healing my broken heart and reminding me that it's my turn to be strong for our family. He loved to ride motorcycles among many other things he did. Traveling the world, he was the smartest, kindest, most interesting person I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. I pray I'm just like him in a lot of ways. He always said I was his mini me. He loved me on days he didn't have to. He has been a blessing to me and mine since day one. He has stood by my side through thick and thin. I'll never forget when I was a troubled teen when my mom came back, she was upset with my behavior and she said "it's either me or her" and without a hesitant second he said "her" and pointed at me. Not the answer I'm assuming she was expecting to hear. My mom and I had just reunited and she became my absolute best friend over the years. I never judge my mom or my dad for any decisions they made. For I know without a shadow of doubt they love me dearly. He has 6 grandchildren and many more he never got the pleasure of meeting. His immediate grandkids are Bobby Moose Conner Wenzel, Elijah Wenzel, Ella Trull, James Trull, Sabrina Palczynski and Samantha Suki Criswell.
There is so much more than this from dancing on his feet in the living room as a child to us dancing at our father daughter dance. From riding his motorcycle as a child with him and him peddling me on his bicycle as a newborn in a basket to town. I have a million memories of him thankfully.
I know many of you do too, so I ask you not to be sad of his passing - but to remember him and ALL the love he brought to many. I ask ALL of you that may have pictures of my Daddy, to please send them to me, and when we do his celebration of life, I ask for those who may have memories they'd like to share to be there to share them.
In lieu of flowers we ask that all donations be made to the new foundation in honor of my father that is being created by Bob Stiles and a few amazing men, for veterans like my father and families of veterans who can't afford to bury or handle the last affairs. We appreciate any support we can get in this matter because so many I'm sure like my family are out there daily struggling. I look forward to seeing you all there. God Bless!
- Written by his daughter, Catherine Dianne Trull Wenzel.
A Memorial Service will be held at 2pm on Saturday, January 10, 2026 at Townson-Rose Funeral Home Chapel in Murphy with military rites conducted by American Legion Post #96, Murphy, American Legion Post 532 Hayesville, VFW Post 6812, Hayesville and the Marine Corp League, Marble.
Townson-Rose Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.
You may send tributes to the family at
www.townson-rose.com
