Most Recent to Oldest Entries
June 21, 2020
A supermensch. It was an honor to have shared our journeys for over a
quarter-century. Jerry raised the definition of 'human', a few points,
while he was on this plane ;) Cuidate, Man - see you later, Nigel
~
Nigel Watson,
MIAMI, Florida
June 02, 2020
When I joined the local ACLU board, Jerry welcomed me. I valued his intelligence
and humor. He was a true friend to my son David.
~
Wendy Risk,
Clearwater, Florida
May 29, 2020
When we moved to Tampa in 1998 Jerry was one of the first people we met.
He welcomed us into his life with open arms and became a great influence
in our lives. He introduced us to many wonderful people who also became
our friends.
He spent most of his life in service to many progressive causes but he
also took care of many individuals. He drove people to doctors appointments
and to treatment for illnesses. You could always count on him if you needed
help.
He was generous and kind but could also be a pain. He had set ideas on
how some things should be done and was insistent on having his way.
I will miss him a lot and am very glad he was in the care of hospice.
~
Judy Adkins,
Tampa, Florida
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May 27, 2020
I knew Jerry for the past seven years when he moved to our On Top of the
World condo community and got to know him especially closely in the past
few years. Jerry was active with our Lambda social club and attended many
parties and dine outs with us. I added some photos of him out and about.
As I spent more time with Jerry, I found myself attending events at groups
like the ACLU, the Democratic Club, Equality Florida, the Jewish Food
Festival, Southern Poverty Law Center, etc. I found that he was a member
of numerous other organizations: Sierra Club, Human Rights Campaign, Amnesty
International, et al. He received gobs of mail from them all soliciting
funds and he was a financial donor. But he was a donor of his time as
well - attending Board meetings of the ACLU and sitting in booths at various
community events to represent his groups.
Jerry was a Jewish Humanist. He was an atheist, but he observed many of
the traditions of the Jewish faith, in particular the food part.
As he got on in age, I was amazed how clear Jerry's memory was. He was
a great writer of reminder notes and would make sure that all his points
were covered.
Jerry was especially insistent that he wanted to remain at home at the
end. He had a little friendly cat named Gigi who was a great comfort to
him. And at the end, the nurses of Seasons Hospice made his transition
a peaceful one.
Jerry touched a lot of people throughout his life and left this world
a better place. I am so glad to have had him as a friend.
~
David Beaven,
Clearwater, Florida
May 27, 2020
Jerry gave a great deal of his time and energy participating in the Humanist
movement, both on the local and state levels. He was vice president of
the Humanist Society of the Suncoast for at least 20 years. He was as
much loved for his wit and humor as for his coffee and cookies. He was
admired and respected for the strong stands he took for human rights and
dignity. His long time interest in environmental issues was concerned
mainly about the fate of humanity more than polar bears. Jerry will not
soon be forgotten by anyone who cares deeply about the humanity we hold
in our hands. JP
~
Jim Peterson, Pres. Hum. Soc.,
Tampa, Florida
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