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In memory of

Gerald Arnold Lester

Berkeley, CA, USA

1936 - May 12, 2020

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Gerald Arnold Lester (10/27/1936-5/12/2020) died unexpectedly on May 12 at the age of 83. He had been at a rehab center recovering from a neck injury sustained in a fall at his home in Berkeley, California on April 18. He had previously been in good health, and was expected to recover.

Jerry was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio to Samuel and Stella (ne Schwartz) Lester, as the first son of first-generation Americans. After graduating from Glenville High School in 1954, he went on to Ohio State and graduated from Case Western Reserve with a degree in economics. He served in the US Army Reserves at Fort Meade.

He had the soul of an artist, and was a gifted photographer and painter. Throughout 30 years as a dedicated teacher of K-5th grade students in the New York City public schools, he dreamed of being an artist. After retiring, he began painting and drawing furiously across many mediums, large and small. His work was accepted for shows in many galleries and museums, including the Guggenheim, Penn Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Hudson River Museum. He continued to draw and paint prolifically until the day of his fall.

His family and art led him to take residence in Brooklyn, NY, Ardsley, NY (1979), Santa Cruz, CA (1998), and the Oakland Arts District (2006). He has lived in Berkeley, CA since 2010 with his partner, Helena Katz MD.

He leaves behind Helena, his partner of 11 years, brother Arthur, sister Lynn, his children, Rachael (Mike) and Jacqueline (Jason), and an untold quantity of drawings and paintings. He was a beloved grandfather (“Dood”) of four grandchildren: Austin, Sam, Alison, and Sydney.

He will be interred at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. There will be a memorial at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to the ACLU and California Lawyers for the Arts.

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