Jerome Lewis King
Jerome Lewis King, aka Jerry, aka Papa, passed away on March 16th, his 85th birthday. Jerry was a loving husband, father, and grandfather, a hard-core Michigan Wolverines fan, and an ardent fan of the infamous “does your face hurt?” joke.
Jerry was born on March 16, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York. He attended James Madison High School, where he played clarinet in the school band and ran track. While he moved away from Brooklyn for college and spent decades living in the Midwest and Florida, he never stopped being a Brooklyn boy and certainly never completely lost the accent or his propensity to call out douchebags.
One of the highlights of his life was his time at the University of Michigan. There, the city boy learned to ride a bike when his fraternity brothers took him to the top of a hill, placed him on his first two-wheeler, and pushed.
After graduation, he moved back East to attend Columbia Business School, enlist in the Army Reserves, and start a family. It didn’t take him long to head west again, and he moved to Chicago. He spent the next 3 decades living in the Chicago area, working in marketing, meeting and marrying his life partner, Dale Anne, and extending his brood.
Family was everything to Jerry. His favorite moments in life were the holidays, surrounded by family and good food. He could always be counted on to give an endearing weepy toast expressing how much it meant to him to have everyone together. Some of his family would roll their eyes, some would smile, and some would get teary-eyed. Everyone secretly loved it.
Jerry could also always be counted on to show up when times were tough and he was most needed. If someone was in the hospital, he would be there. When someone was in distress, he would sit with them and listen. He was not a man of many words, but he was a man who loved deeply.
Although he was not a simple man, his greatest pleasures were really the simplest. He liked to read the newspaper outside, he liked to sit in hot tubs, he liked to grow tomatoes, he liked to take his grandchildren to the zoo. He liked the sunshine, he liked good food, and he liked watching Michigan football when they were winning.
Jerry, a 25 year resident of Sanibel and Captiva Florida, is survived by his wife of 45 years, Dale Anne Reiss, his 3 children, Stacey Hardin, Mitchell King, and Matthew King, his daughter-in-law Elizabeth King, his son-in-law Brian Cruey, his honorary daughters Alison Hart and Liz Richards Hart, and his grandchildren, Madeleine King, Aidan King, Joshua Hardin, and Octavia Hart. He also leaves behind many cherished memories and traditions. He will be greatly missed.
In lieu of flowers or other gifts, please make a donation to the Jerome L. King Scholarship Fund for Nursing, via the Collaboratory at 2031 Jackson Street, Fort Myers, Florida 33901 or online at www.collaboratory.org