Gerald "Jerry" W. Parent

ALBANY- Gerald William Parent, known to everyone who loved him as Jerry, was born on Christmas Day 1948 in Peekskill, NY. He died on July 16, 2026, at the New York State Veterans’ Home in Montrose, New York where he had been receiving care. He was 77 years old.

Jerry was the elder son of Clifford G. Parent and Gladys Richards Parent. He was preceded in death by his parents and by his younger brother, James C. Parent, who died in 2025.

A 1967 graduate of Yorktown High School, Jerry went on to study auto mechanics at Morrisville Community College and Hudson Valley Community College before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps in June 1971. He served as a Lance Corporal and saw combat in Vietnam, completing multiple tours of duty before receiving an honorable discharge in February 1973.

His faith in God and in scripture was not incidental to who Jerry was - it was the through-line of everything. In service to that faith, he spent a year in France with Greater Europe Missions. He later studied in Canada for more than a decade, earning a Certificate in Biblical Studies from Ontario Theological Seminary in Toronto in 1985, and later a Bachelor of Theology from McGill University in 1992.

For more than 20 years, Jerry served on the facilities staff at Loudonville Christian School in Loudonville, New York. He also served on the board of Camp Pinnacle in Voorheesville, New York, investing in an institution whose mission reflected his deepest values. He was a longtime member of Westerlo Baptist Church.

Jerry settled in Albany, where he made his home for more than 25 years. He loved the excitement of stock car races. One of his favorite hobbies was genealogical research and family history, leaving behind a body of written work that his family continues to build upon.

There wasn’t an engine he couldn’t fix and he never said no to a cookie.

Jerry is survived by his niece, Jenny Parent Meudt, and his nephew, Timothy Parent.

Private interment will be held at Hillside Cemetery in Peekskill, New York. A memorial gathering will be announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Camp Pinnacle General Fund. https://www.camppinnacle.org/donate

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