PATIENT PROFILE
Nine Lives and Counting
WORLD-CLASS CRAFTSMAN GETS WORLD-CLASS SURGERY WHEN LATEX
PAINT THREATENED HIS LIFE AND CAREER
By Sandi Constantino-Thompson
Jerry Measimer of Richfield, NC is a man of many hats. Literally.
A master woodworker, he turns massive blocks of wood into
exquisite urns and bowls, pens, guitars, toys and most notably,
his signature custom-fitting hats pared down to a mere eight-inch
JERRY EQUALLY DESERVES THE TITLE
RENAISSANCE MAN WITH LAYERS OF CHARACTER
THAT UNFOLD THE MOMENT YOU MEET HIM.
thickness. Jerry’s hats have hung in fine art museums, been donned
by a former Miss America, and worn by country music legends like
Charlie Daniels. Not bad for a man who started woodturning just
six years ago.
A drywall and tile specialist by trade, Jerry equally deserves the title
Renaissance man with layers of character that unfold the moment
you meet him. He’s a charmer, an artisan, a teacher, a former
marine, a father and grandfather, a philosopher, an engineer, a
storyteller, a romantic, a humanitarian and the luckiest man you’ll
ever find.
Jerry’s been electrocuted, shot and knocked unconscious by a 2 x
4 board. On a canoe trip with his son in 2003, he nearly drowned
when an unexpected rapid snapped their canoe in half, lodging
Jerry’s foot under a boulder before his son pulled him free. He’s
broken numerous bones, most recently when he was turning a
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PATIENT PROFILE
large block of wood (called a blank) that exploded on the lathe and
broke Jerry’s nose in three places.
Dr. Alan Ward and Glenn Gaston. It’s a tale worth telling, but first,
you should know more about the man behind the ordeal.
At a county fair appearance, Jerry broke three fingers during a
demonstration and taped them together to finish the show. Even
lightening couldn’t slow him down. His wife Tammy recalls, “I
heard a bolt of lightening and thought, ‘Wow that was close. I
An Ohio native with a personality larger than life, Jerry moved to
Concord, NC in eighth grade. At 17, he left home to join the Marines
where he quickly excelled, traveling to Europe and specializing in
weapon repair. By age 19, he carried the responsibility of 1,000
M16s and 16 employees. That same year, he met and married
Tammy after a serendipitous meeting. “My girlfriend and I had
just left the mall,” Tammy begins, “and this guy rode by on his
motorcycle.” Jerry interjects, “I stopped, kissed her hand, and said,
‘What are you doing tomorrow night?’” After a few dates, squeezed
in between furloughs, they wed and have been soul mates for 34
years.
“I HEARD A BOLT OF LIGHTENING AND
THOUGHT, ‘WOW THAT WAS CLOSE. I THINK
IT HIT SOMEONE.’ I DIDN’T REALIZE IT
WAS MY HUSBAND.”
While this sounds like a fairytale beginning, an unexpected
tragedy soon changed their lives. As Jerry picked up a pistol
someone errantly left on a Marine base desk, the gun discharged,
shooting him through the hand and accidentally killing one of his
buddies. At the time, Tammy was pregnant with their son, and a
court-martial trial put their lives on hold. Thanks to officer support
and his strong faith, Jerry overcame the incident and even left the
military with a higher rank. But painful memories remained.
think it hit someone.’ I didn’t realize it was my husband.” Jerry
laughs. “Let’s put it this way. My neighbor is a first responder. He
and the fire chief know me well.”
In April 2012, one of Jerry’s nine lives intersected with
OrthoCarolina as he accidentally injected his finger with latex
paint—an acute injury that demanded immediate attention. When
a toxic substance, such as paint or grease, enters the body it causes
severe pain, swelling and infection. In fact, the amputation rate
for such injuries is nearly 60% if not treated within six hours.
Fortunately, Jerry was in good hands with OrthoCarolina surgeons
Ready to channel his grief into healing, Jerry formed the People
Responsible for Accidental Death (PRAD) program and worked as
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PATIENT PROFILE
and adds layers of lacquer, hand-sanded with 12,000-grit sandpaper
between each coat. It was this finishing technique that led Jerry to
OrthoCarolina and the rest of our story.
On April 16, 2013, Jerry accidentally injected paint into his finger
while cleaning a high-pressure paint gun. To be classified as an
injection injury, a gun’s pressure has to operate at least 100 psi. In
Jerry’s case, the pressure was over 2,000 psi. “I was holding the
paint gun in a bucket,” he notes, “and my finger slipped in front
of the sprayer.” At first he didn’t realize he was injured, which
is common with injection injuries since the high pressure leaves
virtually no mark behind. The pain, however, assured the injury’s
severity.
“The pressure was excruciating, so I tried cutting my finger with
a knife to clean out the paint,” he continues. “When I didn’t see
any paint or blood, I knew I needed to head to the hospital.”
Unfortunately, three weeks before the incident, Tammy had total
knee replacement with Ortho Carolina. She recalls, “When we
a missionary to counsel others who shared his experience. Twice,
he was featured on The Maury Povich Show focusing on accidental
death. Jerry also met with groups and individuals, plus answered
countless letters from Akron to Africa. “Jerry’s a great example of
not letting anything hold you back,” Tammy points out. “If you live
in the past, you can’t move forward.”
TO ACCESS GREATER ORTHOPEDIC SPECIALTY,
HEFNER VA MEDICAL CENTER IN SALISBURY
TRANSFERRED JERRY TO CAROLINAS MEDICAL
CENTER IN CHARLOTTE. AT 2:00 A.M., THE
ORTHOCAROLINA TEAM PERFORMED
EMERGENCY SURGERY REQUIRING AN INCISION
FROM THE TIP OF JERRY’S MIDDLE FINGER
TO THE BASE OF HIS PALM.
In 1981, Jerry and Tammy moved to Richfield to raise their son
and soon, a daughter. Jerry launched Jerry’s Drywall & Tile business
and quickly earned a sterling reputation and loyal clientele. For
several years, Tammy worked as a private detective—a tough gig
in a town of just 600 people. Their lives seemed set until in 2007, a
woodworking photo lured Jerry down a new path.
hobbled into the ER at the VA hospital, the nurse laughed, ‘I’m not
sure which one’s the patient.’” Jerry grins. “And when they said I
needed plastic surgery, Tammy said I wasn’t getting plastic surgery
before she did.”
The photo featured hollow Christmas ornaments crafted from
wood. Weeks later, Jerry couldn’t forget the image, and decided to
take a class at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC
to study woodturning. There, he met Kentucky woodworker Chris
Ramsey who had turned a wooden Stetson-style hat for President
George W. Bush. He bought one of Ramsey’s hats, took his classes,
and started shaping a new career.
To access greater orthopedic specialty, Hefner VA Medical Center in
Salisbury transferred Jerry to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.
At 2:00 a.m., the OrthoCarolina team performed emergency
surgery requiring an incision from the tip of Jerry’s middle finger
to the base of his palm. “When Jerry arrived, he had developed
a serious infection,” Dr. Gaston notes. “With paint injuries, you
have to act quickly to preserve tissue. Dr. Ward performed the first
surgery to remove paint and dead tissue, and I performed follow-up
surgery the next day. Most of these injuries require two surgeries to
ensure healthy tissue and a full recovery.”
“My grandfather was a woodworker, and I loved watching him
work the wood,” Jerry reflects. “So I guess woodworking was
always in my blood. When my first grandchild was born, I used
my grandfather’s router and a cherry tree from his yard to make
a rocking horse. For the next grandchild, I used wood from my
grandfather’s yard, a mill I worked for, and my son’s yard so it
connected all of our lives.”
“Even though I was in pain, it was actually kind of exciting,” Jerry
recounts. “All the CMS residents came to see my finger. I’m so
grateful to my surgeons and don’t think anyone could do what they
did for me.” After surgery, the real work began: rehabilitating the
finger so Jerry could regain mobility. He continued physical therapy
in Concord, picking up small nails and rice grains to improve his
dexterity.
To make a hat, Jerry starts with a 70-pount block of wood. “I like
working with maple, but also work with elm, cherry, walnut,
hickory and sycamore. My favorite wood is ambrosia maple because
a beetle gets in the wood and creates interesting patterns.” A few
hours and 80 gallons of woodshavings later, he’s created a stunning
work of art that weighs just eight ounces. To create the hat band, he
uses exotic woods like padouk for color. Then, he shapes the wood
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PATIENT PROFILE
Today, Jerry still runs his construction business, and the student
has become the teacher. In addition to conducting classes at his
home workshop and Shop II Woodworks Studio in Richfield, he
“I WAS DETERMINED TO GET BETTER,” JERRY
ASSERTS, “SO I WAS A GOOD PATIENT FOR MY
DOCTORS. AN INJURY LIKE THAT CHANGES
THE WAY YOU WORK, TOO. I’M VERY CAREFUL
WHEN I WORK NOW AND TELL MY STUDENTS
THAT I’M THE EXAMPLE.”
posts videos on YouTube and gives demonstrations at local schools.
For the past four years, Jerry has also served as president of the
Southern Piedmont Woodturners Association.
Despite therapy, his finger remains numb, but functions fully.
“I was determined to get better,” Jerry asserts, “so I was a good
patient for my doctors. An injury like that changes the way you
work, too. I’m very careful when I work now and tell my students
that I’m the example.” He pauses. “The scariest part is if I hurt
myself again, my wife will kill me.”
Jerry’s generosity continues through donations to organizations
like Hospice and the Breast Cancer Foundation. He elaborates. “I
first got involved when I went to a log company looking for wood
for a hat. The owner thought I was crazy, but when I showed him
an example, he said, ‘Anyone who can do that with a piece of
wood can have this log.’ In exchange, I made a hat for him and
his daughter. When I heard she was donating her hat to the Breast
Cancer Foundation, I told her I’d make a special hat for the cause. A
pink one,” he laughs. “It took some work to buy pink paint without
anyone seeing me.”
His exhibited work has garnered numerous awards, including
an Excellence Award from the Charlotte Fine Arts Show. One of
his hats hangs in the Mint Museum of Craft & Design, and he’s a
regular at regional craft shows and fairs. The 2013 Cabarrus County
Fair was mixed with sadness as Jerry’s father passed away on Labor
Day, just weeks before the fair opened. “My dad was my biggest
supporter. I made him a hat, and he never took it off—not even
when he was in the hospital,” Jerry says wistfully. “When I walked
into the Exhibitors Hall this year, I lost it.”
In February 2014, Jerry and Tammy celebrated their 35th wedding
anniversary at a shooting range, something Tammy had always
wanted to try. For their 20th anniversary, Jerry learned Nat King
Cole’s classic “Unforgettable” on the piano, and surprised Tammy
by playing it for her in a local restaurant. Pardon the cliché, but
that’s a tough act to follow.
When Jerry’s not remodeling homes, you’ll find him in his
workshop with golden retrievers Libby and Woodrow hidden
in the fragrant wood shavings. In addition to woodturning, he
specializes in scroll sawing. One of his more notable pieces, an
exact replica of the Wright Brothers’ wind tunnel, welcomes
visitors at the Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte.
“I’m always dreaming of new ideas and things I can create,” Jerry
says enthusiastically. “I love woodworking because every piece is
one of a kind. Each piece is special.” His words hang in the air, and
you can’t help but draw the parallel that Jerry’s life, indeed, mirrors
his art. Dr Gaston underscores the thought. “Jerry’s a great guy. He’s
so creative, and we’re glad to promote his business. Once his finger
healed, he made hats for all of us. People like him are why we love
what we do.”
Several years ago, the Measimers transformed their home into
a showplace that would make the cover of any national home
magazine. Their home features hand-carved cabinetry, stained
glass details, and a whimsical kitchen panel embossed with earlier
sketches and scribbles of the couple’s children.
Tammy, a gourmet cook, helps keep the couple’s home and Jerry’s
business organized. Their daughter, a trained opera singer, lives in
New York and has performed at famed Carnegie Hall and Lincoln
Center. Their son and three grandchildren live in nearby Concord,
allowing Jerry time to teach the grandkids how to turn wood—
even at the tender age of four.
NOTE: Jerry’s hats start around $450, and each piece is customdesigned and handmade. To learn more about his craft, classes and
background, visit Jerry.Measimer.com.
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