Gerry was known for her graciousness and hospitality. She and her husband, Jimmy, were dedicated to one another, and she was a pillar of support for him in his work as owner and publisher of The Salisbury Post newspaper, as well as in his roles within the local community. Originally coming to Salisbury as an assistant home extension agent for Rowan County, after marrying Jimmy, Gerry served devotedly in the community for causes and organizations important to her, including many years on the board of the Elizabeth Holmes Hurley Park, named for Jimmy’s mother, as well as in support of the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra’s “Pops at the Post,” and the Rowan Women’s Shelter.
Outside of philanthropy and service, Gerry enjoyed and excelled at golf, winning local tournaments at the Salisbury Country Club, and with husband Jimmy, supported The Futures Tour for women.
At Catawba, Jimmy and Gerry Hurley endowed the Hurley School of Arts and Sciences in 1989. They provided ongoing support for the Freshman Studies program and for student travel opportunities, a cause dear to Gerry’s heart. Gerry established the Geraldine Trammell Hurley Scholarship for Humanities Majors and the Gerry and Jimmy Hurley Scholarship for International Travel and Study Abroad. A native South Carolinian and graduate of Winthrop College, Gerry funded similar opportunities for students at her alma mater. In 1991, at Jimmy’s alma mater, UNC-Chapel Hill, she established the James F. Hurley III Bicentennial Merit Scholarship at UNC’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Through the Hurley-Trammell Foundation, Gerry aided many organizations in the local community, as did Jimmy and his brother Gordon Hurley via the J.F. Hurley Foundation. Gerry and Jimmy were loyal members of the Catawba Chiefs Club, supporting student athletics programs. Additionally, the Hurleys quietly stepped up many times to assist the College in meeting its needs and the needs of its students, doing so without fanfare or desire for recognition.
Gerry shared that she wanted anything that had the Hurley name on it to look good, to be excellent. In addition to various programs and scholarships at Catawba, the Hurley name can be found in a number of places on campus, including the Hurley Room in the Cannon Student Center, the Hurley Hall residence hall, the Hurley Press Box at Shuford Stadium, and the Holmes Plaza named in memory of Jimmy’s grandparents, located in front of the Hedrick Building.
An only child, Gerry was predeceased by parents Roy and Alice Trammell of Clinton, S.C., and husband James F. Hurley, III. She is survived by her brother-in-law, Gordon Hurley; a sister-in-law; a nephew; and nieces.
A gathering to celebrate the life of Gerry will be held at 3 PM Saturday, September 13, 2025, in Lewis Hall at First Presbyterian Church.
