Jerrold M Lyons left us on November 24, 2022, after a brief struggle with cancer, followed by a private funeral. He was preceded in death by his dear wife, Joann, in 2010. He now rests beside her.
Jerry, as we always called him, leaves behind three children; Ron [Ann] Lyons, Scott [Leslye] Lyons and Pam [Moises] Diaz and six grandchildren: Tina [Doug] Zecher, Richard [Stephanie] Padgett, Kevin (Nicole] Lyons, Russell Lyons, Francisco Diaz and Maria [Joseph] Gago. Jerry also had seven great-grandchildren: Samantha and Sophia Zecher, Sydney, Tatum and Lyla Padgett and Finnegan and Theodore Gago. His many friends in both Tucson and Coronado, Calif. deeply miss him, especially his close companion for many years, Judy Holt. Several of us considered Jerry to be our extended family and we miss him terribly.
Jerry was born in Rochester, N.Y. in 1929 and graduated from the University of Rochester with a degree in business management. Following graduation, he became an accountant and Certified Public Accountant. When Jerry was drafted into the U.S. Army, he was able to continue practicing accounting and made several improvements to Army accounting practices and standards. He also was fortunate to meet Joann and marry her in 1952. Upon leaving the Army, he resumed public accounting and moved his accounting practice to other cities. He eventually was lured to Tucson where he partnered with other accountants to continue his thriving accounting practice. Up to two weeks prior to losing him, Jerry was still helping several prominent Tucsonans with their accounting and taxes.
Jerry was very active in the Tucson Jewish community and provided leadership to both his Tucson synagogues, Temple Emanu El and Anshei Israel, as well as to several Tucson Jewish community agencies, including the Jewish Federation of Tucson and Handmaker Jewish Services for Aging. He was also the 1978 Man of the Year for the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona.
At the age of 93, after serving his community and his friends for many decades, Jerry is at last at rest. We will miss his helpful advice and gentle humor. We lost him on Thanksgiving Day and are terribly sorrowful but deeply thankful we had him in our lives and that his distress is over.
Any donations in his memory would be welcomed by the American Cancer Society or the Alzheimer’s Association.
