Gerald "Jerry" Siegel's Obituary
Photographer, art collector, computer consultant and world traveler, Gerald “Jerry” Siegel, ended his journey in Hollywood Florida where he has lived for the past 52 years. Devoted husband, father and grandfather, Jerry was born in Trenton New Jersey on July 10, 1929. He passed away from complications of Alzheimer's disease on January 23, 2015 with his family by his side. The son of H.J. and Sarabelle Siegel, he is predeceased by his parents and his brother Arthur Siegel.
Jerry is survived by his loving wife of almost 65 years, Perle Miriam (Berkowitz) Siegel, his sons Alan (Tracy Green) and Robert (Wendy Max) and his grandchildren, Zoe Siegel, Sophia Siegel,
Tayson Siegel, Kyler Siegel and Zarek Siegel.
Jerry graduated from Trenton High School and served in the Naval Reserve. He married in 1950 and moved to Florida in 1953. He was the owner of Guardian Underwriters Insurance and provided services to many South Florida residents. He was active in the Independent Agents Association. He also devoted himself to many Jewish organizations such as Temple Beth El and Jewish Federation, which awarded him the Young Leadership Award in 1967.
Jerry was never without a hobby but was most passionate about photography and travel. Jerry and Perle were members of the Traveler’s Century Club and have visited all 7 continents and over 140 countries, many more than once. By the age of 10, he had his own darkroom and began collecting cameras. Jerry’s Everglades bird photos have been published widely and he has written for Photographic Society of America (PSA) magazine, including an article about travel in Cuba. With Perle, Jerry made frequent public presentations of his photos. His travel, nature and architectural photographs were featured all over the world as part of PSA competitive salons and he was ranked in the top 10 photographers in the world in Nature and Travel categories. Jerry was active in the 35mm Camera Club in Miami.
Jerry enjoyed reading about, collecting and seeing many forms of art. Jerry was passionate about cars and planes and was a skilled pilot of light planes and enjoying soaring in glider planes. Jerry loved all forms of electronics and he was an active participant in the personal computer revolution. He shared his interest and skills with others and was a computer consultant for many years helping friends and businesses. He was a long-time member of the Miami PC User’s Group.
Jerry will be sorely missed by his family and friends. A memorial service will be held in Hollywood on Sunday, January 25, 2014 at 2 PM at Levitt-Weinstein Memorial Chapel, 3201 NW 72nd Avenue, Hollywood FL 33024.
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