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In memory of
Jerry A. Longarzo, Jr.
March 20, 1963 - January 11, 2022
Mar 20, 1963 - Jan 11, 2022
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Jerry's obituary
March 20, 1963 - January 11, 2022
Jerry A. Longarzo, Jr. died January 11, 2022 in Los Angeles, CA, at the age of 58 after a ten-month battle with pancreatic cancer. The cancer didn’t win–Jerry would never allow that. It took his life, but never his spirit or his passion for living.
Jerry was born on March 20, 1963, and grew up on Long Island, New York. He spent his early years enjoying large family gatherings, playing sports and giving his schoolteachers reasons to consider early retirement. Jerry’s academic brilliance later became apparent when he graduated Georgetown University near the top of his class, and earned his J.D. degree from Georgetown University Law Center, also at the top of his class. A dedicated alumnus, Jerry was proud to serve on the Board of Advisors and the Parents Advisory Council for Georgetown McDonough School of Business for the last several years.
Jerry started his career as a corporate associate at the law firm Lord Day & Lord, followed by a stint at Cablevision Systems’ Rainbow Programming division. One January, upon traveling from a cold and snowy New York to Los Angeles to attend a Rose Bowl game, Jerry realized there was a world out there with “blue skies, mountains, and blond hair,” and determined to make his way west to get some of that action. The Golf Channel offered him that opportunity and Jerry moved to Los Angeles to open their west coast office. Jerry found his true professional passion (and his blond wife) at The Walt Disney Company, where he managed business affairs for many successful television shows. After leaving Disney, Jerry held senior executive positions at Fox Television Studios and CBS/Paramount before starting his own law practice. That practice grew into Longarzo Vance Klevan LLP, one of the industry’s most respected boutique entertainment law firms, serving actors, writers, directors, studios, and production companies. The firm remains committed to continue executing on Jerry’s vision, ensuring his legacy lives on. Jerry’s work earned him many accolades, including a Grammy for Best Music Film as Executive Producer on the HBO show, “The Defiant Ones.”
Far more important to Jerry than work was his family. He delighted in coaching his three sons on dozens of soccer and baseball teams. Jerry and his family enjoyed innumerable outings and vacations involving snowboarding, skiing, fishing, scuba diving, rock climbing, sky-diving and other adventurous activities. Family game nights were loud and legendary. Through it all, his wife, Diana, was his best friend, partner and soulmate.
A sports enthusiast and dedicated New York Football Giants and New York Mets fan, Jerry reveled during his teams’ good years and commiserated with friends and family during the years his teams fell short. Sadly, recent years were not kind to his teams and Jerry’s sons now bear the cross of continuing to root for the teams they inherited.
Jerry is survived by his wife of 23 years, Diana Longarzo; his three sons Jack, Luke and Dante Longarzo; his parents Agnes and Jerry A. Longarzo, Sr.; his sisters Denise Longarzo and Janine Sheehan; and several cousins, nieces, nephews, grand nephews and grand nieces. He was loved by friends and respected by colleagues. All of these will miss him greatly.
Donations in Jerry’s name may be made to Cedars-Sinai Cancer Center, with a designation to Pancreatic Cancer, www.cedars-sinai.org/giving; Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, www.pancan.org; or West LA Little League, www.wlall.org, with the notation “Jerry Longarzo Scholarship” in the “Company” field.
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Created with love by
Diana Longarzo (Jerry's wife).
