Title
To honor, recognize, and celebrate the life of Geraldine "Jerrie" Mock, and to extend our sincerest condolences to her family and friends on the occasion of her passing Tuesday, September 30, 2014.
Body
WHEREAS, Geraldine "Jerrie" Mock was born Geraldine Fredritz on November 22, 1925, and shortly thereafter declared that not only would she be a pilot, but she would fly around the world; and
WHEREAS, when she was a thirty-eight-year-old mother of three living in Bexley, Jerrie did indeed become the first woman to fly solo around the globe, departing from Port Columbus on March 19, 1964, in the Spirit of Columbus, the single-engine Cessna in which she crossed two oceans and made aviation history before returning home on April 17 after a journey of 22,860 miles; and
WHEREAS, during her flight, Jerrie overcame difficult weather conditions, mechanical problems, and even an accidental landing at a restricted base in Egypt, which she was not allowed to leave until nightfall; and
WHEREAS, at noon on October 13, 2014, Columbus Day, Jerrie will be inducted into the City of Columbus Hall of Fame during a ceremony at City Hall; and
WHEREAS, the Columbus Foundation's Spirit of Columbus Awards will be known as "the Jerries" in Ms. Mock's honor; and
WHEREAS, in addition to her loving family and the many people she inspired to reach for their own dreams, Jerrie Mock leaves behind a legacy of great daring, monumental achievement, and a quiet humility that was exemplified by this understated characterization of her historic flight: "There were dozens of women who could have done what I did. All I did was have some fun."; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That this Council does hereby honor, recognize, and celebrate the life of Geraldine "Jerrie" Mock, and extends our sincerest condolences to her family and friends on the occasion of her passing Tuesday, September 30, 2014.