Jerry Clark

Gerald L “Jerry” Clark (79) passed away in Chicago on November 26, 2025. He was the 4th of 9 children born to Emmett and Virgilene Clark in Howell, Michigan. Jerry was a loving father, loyal sibling, dear friend, and a devoted spouse. Jerry centered his life on his family and his close friends, always making his three children his top priority. He was readily available for long phone conversations about the joys or the trials and tribulations of the day. He celebrated special moments or milestones that were important in the life of someone he loved. What he treasured most was having family together during the Christmas holidays and on vacations. Among those close to him, he will be remembered for his quick wit and rare sense of humor. He was a devoted walker for their dog, Kedzie, and met many neighbors that way during her 12 years with them. He was overjoyed when two grandbabies, Eddie and Celia were born six months apart in 2022 and 2023. He loved being a doting grandpa. Jerry received his undergraduate degree in Education from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan where he met his future wife, Elizabeth Karen Van Raalte. He was an avid reader, so it came as no surprise that he went on to get his Master’s Degree in Library Science. He read multiple books at any given time, typically some fiction and many history books. His children remember receiving gifts of books that were always carefully chosen for their interests. He was a trivia buff and had a great memory for facts. He loved travel, especially to cities in Europe, and with his extensive reading of history, he could often serve as an extemporaneous travel guide for his family. Jerry taught in several locations and at several grade levels in Michigan: Detroit, Rogers City, Howell and Brighton as well as in Itasca, Illinois. He also served as the reference librarian at the Helen Plum Library in Lombard, IL. The majority of his career was as the Media Specialist/Librarian at Scranton Middle School in Brighton, Michigan. He and his wife Elizabeth lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan for most of their married life. He was a life-long articulate Democrat willing to spar verbally and playfully with his colleagues in the largely Republican Livingston County where he worked. He was an avid University of Michigan football fan (“Go Blue!”) and volunteered as a ticket taker at the stadium (the “Big House”) for several years. He was a great dancer and loved Motown music. When Jerry’s older brother David was a student at Loyola University Chicago, Jerry visited and was captivated by the city. It became his dream to retire there, and in 2008 he and his wife Elizabeth retired and purchased a condo in a high-rise on the shores of Lake Michigan. For five years he was the volunteer librarian at Northside Catholic Academy in Edgewater. He managed the library at their own condo building. Jerry enjoyed memberships at the Art Institute and at the Architecture Institute. He attended Mass at the Madonna del la Strada chapel on the Loyola campus and loved the organ music there. Jerry was preceded in death by his mother and father and his brother, David. In addition to his wife, Elizabeth, he is survived by his three children, Karyn (Timothy Brown), Susan, and Kevin (Sarah), his grandson Edward, his granddaughter Celia, his siblings Richard, Karen, James (Cynthia), Thomas (Karen Jentzen), Brian, Michael (Nancy James), Mary (Patricia Rodriguez), and his ex-wife Mary Ellen Koziol Reid. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews who fondly remember Uncle Jerry. He leaves behind many loved ones to cherish his memory and carry on his legacy of compassion, generosity and wit. Contributions in his memory can be made to: Aquinas College ( www.Aquinas.edu/give ), the Human Rights Campaign ( www.hrc.org ), Loyola University ( www.Loyola.edu ) or to a charity of your choice. A funeral Mass will be held at St. Gertrude Church in Chicago’s Edgewater Neighborhood at 10 a.m. on January 10, 2026 with a memorial service later that afternoon for family and friends.

Jerry Clark

November 26, 2025

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Jerry Clark

November 26, 2025

365 Days of Grief Support

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