Jere Hammond Warren
July 17, 1939 ~ March 16, 2023
Born in:
Donalsonville, Georgia
Resided in:
Lawrenceville, Georgia
By David Smith Soto
My dear friend Jere Warren, artist and journalist, died March 16, 2023 at his home in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He earned a living most of his life as a graphic artist on several newspapers, notably The Miami Herald, but had the soul of a fine art painter. Jere was a United States Marine, a talented artist, and a passionate animal lover. He was 83.
He was a career graphic artist beginning at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper in 1967. He spent several years at the Ft Lauderdale Sun Sentinel. The bulk of his career was with The Miami Herald, where he shared in a Pulitzer Prize for outstanding journalism and eventually retired from there. Along with his many stunningly beautiful paintings in oil and watercolor, he also drew in pencil and charcoal.
Part of his childhood was lived at the U.S. military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. That experience made him a lifelong fan of everything Cuban, politics and art. As a teenager, he planned a trip with his buddies to join Fidel Castro’s revolutionaries in the Sierra Maestra. Better minds prevailed, and he never made it. I’ve included below some memories from his colleagues at the Miami Herald.
I met Jere as The Herald was preparing to launch Business Monday, the first business weekly in a metropolitan daily. It was my job to work with Jere to design the front page. Jere’s professionalism always dispelled any fear that emanated from the blank page.
But my fondest memory from those days is personal. I was hit with a severe case of the flu that had me bedridden for weeks. Then Jere showed up with a jar of raw honey. He had no doubts that raw honey would fix me up, and it did.
He is survived by his three children, Patrick, Lainie Warren, and Kim Kelly, and his granddaughters, Lindsay Resto and Kyra Warren.
A simple graveside service will be held at the beautiful Georgia National Veterans Cemetery in Canton, Georgia, on Friday, March 24, from 1-1:30pm.
Check the link on the website below for directions to the cemetery.
https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/georgia.asp
We ask that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Northeast Georgia humane Society. Link below.
Services
Graveside Service: March 24, 2023 1:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Georgia National Cemetery
1080 Scott Hudgens Dr.
Canton, GA 30114
770-479-9300
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I think it can be said that Jere
and I were destined to be dear friends; when I was born, Jere painted a beautiful portrait of me as an infant, which he sent to his dear friends at the time, my parents. By the time I was in my 20s, I considered Jere an honorary uncle of mine- we had conversations in person and over email about art and life, and he was a steady source of encouragement and kindness whenever I needed it. A kindred spirit, Jere and I also turned out to be great painting buddies— I had studied painting through my high school years, and the two of us took an unforgettable road trip through Georgia O’Keeffe land for a painting trip, where we painted side by side in Abiquiu like true artist pals; I still remember O’Keeffe’s “black place,” “white place,” the Ranchos church, and the view of the Chama River, as Jere and I painted them side by side, and of course took goofy photos of each other. We kept promising to take the trip again one day, which we both looked forward to. Jere finished the paintings he started on that trip. A lifelong friend, I am so grateful for every memory; Jere was truly larger than life, an exuberant spirit, and full of love for those around him, as I’m sure his friends will recall. I can’t forget Jere’s dark sense of humor, but at the same time, an unruffled and innocent spirit that made him eternally young at heart, and with the ability to uplift others. Jere made me promise to run along beaches during the pandemic, which I still intend to do.
Direct quote from Jere: “It’s great how those few summer days in Abiquiu gave us Georgia forever. We must do more of that.”