HomeHaddonfield NewsObituary: Gerald Allen Smith

Obituary: Gerald Allen Smith

Former borough resident, who also spent time in Pennsylvania and Iowa, dies.

Gerald Allen (Jerry) Smith of King of Prussia, Pa., and formerly of Lancaster, Pa., Cherry Hill and Haddonfield, passed away peacefully on April 11. He is survived by his beloved wife Judy (nee Baggs), as well as his daughter Susan Beriau (Scott) and son Peter (Kim). He was the devoted grandfather of Katharine and Andrew MacJarrett, as well as Olivia Smith, and also the great-grandfather of Jaylee MacJarrett. Jerry was predeceased in death by his brother Merle and his son, Gerald Andrew Smith.

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Born in Orange, N.J., Jerry grew up in Westfield, N.J., graduating from Admiral Farragut Academy.  He then traveled west to enroll at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. He was an active member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity while there, and graduated in 1951 with a degree in Civil Engineering. Jerry remained a Cyclone for life, following the school’s teams and visiting the campus for the last time in 1997. 

Upon returning to New Jersey, he met his wife Judy, and they married in 1955. After briefly living in Cherry Hill, they settled in Haddonfield where they spent the next 35 years raising a family and enjoying friends in the town they truly loved. Jerry was a long-time member of the First Presbyterian Church on Kings Highway. He spent his most memorable times, however, on the west side of town – on the tennis courts at the Haddon Field Club.

For decades, Jerry played doubles every Saturday morning – without fail – once the weather turned in the spring. He cherished his tennis friends at the Field Club, and he taught both of his sons to play tennis there. He won many titles there, including the Gut Buster Tournament as well as multiple Father-Son championships. Tennis was Jerry’s oasis – he loved the sport and played well into his 70s.

Jerry’s interment will be held privately in light of the restrictions on gatherings, and will be attended only by immediate family. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Jerry can be made to the Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue (DVGRR), 60 Vera Cruz Road, Reinholds, Pa. 17569.

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