Jerry Leland Behrens

Jerry Leland Behrens 76, died on February 4, 2016, in Lubbock.

Memorial services will be at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 11, 2016, at the First Baptist Church of Canyon with Curtis House, minister of Harvest Christian Fellowship of Amarillo, and Pastor William Fifer, pastor of Holy Trinity Church of God and Christ in Amarillo, officiating. Graveside service will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday at Dreamland Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 10, 2016, at Brooks Chapel in Canyon.

He was born on January 6, 1940, in Hedley to Truett and Thelma Pierce Behrens. He attended Clarendon Public Schools where he excelled in all sports and graduated in 1958. He was selected as a senior to play in the All Star Greenbelt Bowl in Childress and the City Slickers vs the Sodbusters All Star game at Price College in Amarillo. He received a football scholarship to West Texas State College where he played from 1958 to 1962 during the Joe Kerbel era. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from West Texas State College in 1962 and his Master of Education degree in 1965. Jerry married his college sweetheart, Delores Bohannon, in Childress on June 22, 1963. He began his coaching career in Amarillo at Crockett Jr. High School and then Tascosa High School. From 1964 to 1971 he coached at Odessa Permian High School, where he was on the coaching staff that led the Permian Panthers to a state championship title in 1965. Jerry then moved back to Canyon and coached at West Texas State University from 1971 to 1977. He was inducted into the West Texas State University Hall of Champions in 1989. He was selected to coach the All Star Greenbelt Bowl game in Childress in 1985 and also coached the Texas High School Coaches Association All Star Game. After coaching, Jerry began his career at Herff Jones, where he received the Pinnacle Club Achievement Award, and continued there until retirement. He was a member of the Panhandle Selection Committee for the Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame and was a member of the First Baptist Church of Canyon.

Jerry loved coaching and coached many AAU and Kids Inc. football, basketball, baseball, and track teams. He was also the official starter at many track meets throughout the Panhandle. He was an avid supporter of all WT sporting events, and was a member of the T Club and the WT Buffalo Club. He enjoyed golf and entering his 1954 Chevy truck in parades. Jerry loved people and never met a stranger. He was a friend to everyone, a mentor to many, and will be remembered for his generosity and kindness. He was preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Delores; his son, Phil Behrens and wife, Stephanie, of Goldthwaite; his daughter, Jara DuBose and husband, Bill, of Abernathy; nine grandchildren, Brock, Brylee, Brandt, Brette Kaite, Briar Tru, and Brecken Behrens, and Kalli, Khaki, and Kodi Belle DuBose; a sister, Elaine Marshall, of Amarillo; his grandchildren in love, McKayla, and McKall, Morton, and his namesake, Behren Morton.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials go to the WTAMU Foundation, Jerry Behrens Memorial Scholarship, WTAMU Box 60766, Canyon, TX 79016.