Obituary of Jerry Albrecht

ALBRECHT, Jerry S., of Marlton NJ passed away on July 7, 2020. Age 65. Jerry was the beloved husband of Deborah E. Albrecht (nee Engle). Loving father of Lauren K.E. Albrecht and Matthew W.E. Albrecht. Devoted son of Frank C. Albrecht and the late Eleanor Albrecht. Dear brother of the late Mary S. Albrecht. Dearly loved nephew of Anne Reynolds and cousin of the late Mary Reynolds. Jerry is lovingly survived by his wife's family: his sister-in-law Marilyn and her husband, John Pinti, and his niece, Sky Kurz, her husband, Ross, and their sons, Jace, Cooper, Wesley and Tannin.
Jerry was born and raised in Little Falls, NY. He grew up on his family's ancestral dairy farm and graduated from Little Falls High School. He told the story of his grandmother driving the hay truck through the fields with Jerry hanging on the back, then bouncing off the truck when she hit a pothole in the field. While the outdoors and farming were forever in his blood, he chose to pursue an accounting degree at the University at Albany, where he was a proud member of Theta Xi Omega fraternity. Although the accounting curriculum left little room for non-business courses, he found ways to take many history and political science electives that piqued his interest. Jerry was also busy outside of the classroom, working in the college newspaper's advertising department and rising to Advertising Manager by his junior year. In his senior year, he was appointed Comptroller of the Student Association, overseeing the finances of all student activity groups. Jerry was devoted to his fraternity brotherhood. He was instrumental in the fraternity's unprecedented growth during that time and was elected President in his senior year. He excelled in the fraternity's intramural flag football, softball, and bowling teams, where his years of farm work resulted in a muscular frame that earned him the nickname "Moose" as a result of the damage he could do to an unsuspecting softball. He closed his Albany experience with the highest honor awarded for four years of service to the university: election to MYSKANIA, Albany's honorary service organization, acknowledging his spirit of service to the University and his fellow students.
In 1977, Jerry and Deborah were married at the Chapel of the Four Chaplains on the Temple University campus. Jerry's mother ran a small baking business; she baked and decorated their 10-tiered wedding cake, each tier a different flavor, and, with Jerry's father, drove the cake 300 miles from Little Falls, NY to Southern NJ.
Jerry was a CPA, working first for S.D. Leidesdorf & Co. in NYC, then with Alexander Grant & Co. in Philadelphia, and Renzi, Pinti & Co. also in Philadelphia. He taught accounting for several years at Rider College, considering the academic life. After Jerry earned his MBA from Temple University, rather than remain to complete a PhD, he chose to establish a CPA practice in both Medford, NJ and Marlton, NJ. He was a man who could see outside of himself and was committed to contributing to his community, as a board member of Evesham Municipal Utilities, an Evesham Township Councilman, and an active member of both the Marlton Rotary Club and the Medford Business Association. He was a proud member of the Medford Masonic Lodge No. 178 F.&A.M. where he was a Master Mason and past Worshipful Master of the Lodge. He participated in varied masonic charitable activities and project funds and activities throughout the years. He belonged to other freemasonry bodies including Crescent Shrine, Knights Templar, Royal Arch, Civil War Lodge of Research No. 1865, Grand Lodge of Virginia, and Scottish Rite. Jerry was also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
From his early years on the dairy farm, Jerry developed a love for the outdoors. He loved gardening, creating a garden at his first home that consumed a quarter of the back yard, and was often seen in the garden in his cherished wide-brimmed straw hat. He enjoyed taking long walks and had a sincere concern for the conservation of our Earth, joining the American Chestnut Foundation and planting a chestnut tree in his yard. He enjoyed the Adirondack Mountains in NY, where the family often vacationed. He loved the idea of converting rail tracks to trails and would look for trails to spend a peaceful time walking.
Jerry learned all he could in a variety of areas: classical music, language, literature, conservation, poetry, religion, art, and history. He took quiet pleasure in being a member of MENSA. He carried a book wherever he went and could often be seen sitting on a park bench with a hardcover book in his hands. He was especially interested in the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln. He volunteered at Gettysburg National Park for several years, maintaining a section of the battlefield, and he would drive to Gettysburg early in the morning just to walk the battlefield and reflect on the people and events that had taken place there. Jerry loved talking with his great-grandmother from Slovenia and learning about early farm life from his great-uncle Ray. He was thankful that his Aunt Anne preserved so many items from their ancestors. Jerry's letterhead for his CPA practice used the same font as his great-grandfather's dairy business. He maintained a pen pal relationship with his mother's relatives from Poland and Deborah now keeps the contact going through Facebook. Jerry loved to research both his and Deborah's genealogy. He gave an off the cuff presentation to Deborah's cousins at an impromptu family reunion in the Adirondacks not too long ago, and he was presented with the King Harr award, granted at each reunion to a family member providing a most memorable contribution. Deborah's college graduation gift to Jerry was a cookbook, where he started on the first page and read the entire cookbook to learn it all. Shortly thereafter, he surprised Deborah with a homemade Steak Diane dinner. He was a wealth of knowledge, happy to pursue his passion for learning, sharing with others and testing his knowledge most nights watching Jeopardy.
Jerry's most cherished accomplishment was that of being a husband and a father. He loved his family dearly and had a special bond with his children. He treasured a cap that was hand-decorated with markers by his young children. He enjoyed many hours watching his daughter Lauren play soccer from elementary school through college. He learned Matt's favorite game, Yu-Gi-Oh, and the two traveled together to regional competitions. Jerry passed on an interest in puzzles to his children. They were slowly working on a 24,000-piece puzzle, section by section. The family often continues his legacy of Eggs Saturdays and Pancake Sundays, half with chocolate chips for Matt and Lauren and half plain for Deborah. He and Deborah often danced in the kitchen while dinner was cooking. He was a beautiful role model on leading a life of meaning with strong values.
Jerry's playful and witty sense of humor was a daily adventure for his family and friends. His humility and generosity was admirable. In a friend's words, Jerry was "truly extraordinary and his kindness was his strength". He has left an amazing legacy of his character, his family, and his commitments. He will be dearly missed by all who loved him.
Relatives and friends are invited to the service at Park View Cemetery at Kirby's Mill on Wednesday, September 15, 2021, at 10:45 am. A Masonic Service will begin promptly at 11 am, followed by a Celebration of Jerry's Life and a sharing of memories. In light of the current Covid situation and out of respect for others who may be vulnerable, vaccination is required for attendance. If you are not able to attend Jerry's Celebration of Life, a link of the recorded service will be available.
A Memorial Service will be planned through the Chapman-Moser Funeral Home in Little Falls NY and details can be found on their website: https://chapmanmoser.com
To honor Jerry's many passions and charitable efforts, please consider making a memorial donation to one of the following organizations:
Shriners Hospital for Children (lovetotherescue.org)
Gettysburg Foundation (gettysburgfoundation.org)
Heifer International (heifer.org)
WHYY Philadelphia (WHYY.org)
The Nature Conservancy (nature.org)
American Chestnut Foundation (acf.org)
Rails to Trails Conservancy (railstotrails.org) Service Details. Service
When: Wednesday, September 15th, 2021 11:00am
Location: ParkView Cemetery at Kirby's Mill
Address: 25 Fostertown Road MEDFORD, NJ 08055