Jerome “Jerry” Alexander Rekart passed peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday, June 30, at his home in Newtown. He was 80 years old. Jerry was the son of the late Alexander Edward and Laura Ann Rekart.

After graduating from Parks College in his hometown of Saint Louis, Mo., Jerry spent his career in aviation; initially with the United States Air Force, achieving the rank of Captain and Combat Commander on the B-52 before transitioning to the private sector and flying for Trans World Airlines. He spent his entire career with TWA where he met his future wife, Nancy. They wed in 1975 and raised their family in Brookfield.

His dedication to flight continued as a key member of the Air Line Pilots Association Safety Committee. In addition to representing his fellow pilots, he was a highly respected aircraft accident investigator. Jerry was a key member on multiple investigation teams, most notably as lead investigator on TWA Flight 800.

When not flying, he served his community in Brookfield in various capacities ranging from Police Commissioner and Zoning Commissioner to coaching Little League baseball and softball. More recently, he was actively involved with Candlewood Valley Trout Unlimited’s “Trout in the Classroom” project in the Greater Danbury area, which allowed him to teach future generations about his passions for fishing, wildlife, conservation, and the environment.

Jerry is survived by his wife of 45 years, Mary-Louise Nancy (Chapin) Rekart; his daughter, Emilie (Andrew) Lynch and granddaughters, Eleanor (6) and Caroline (4) of San Francisco; son Paul Rekart (Abby Stutsman) of Saint Louis; and sister, Karen-Ann (Ken) Obrecht of Saint Louis.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Homes for our Troops, at hfotusa.org, or Steven Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, at tunnel2towers.org.

Interment will be at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in Saint Louis, Missouri, at a future date.