Gerald E. Lyons

Gerald Lyons (Jerry) was born in Brooklyn, New York on August 2nd, 1929. Throughout his childhood and teen years Jerry excelled both academically and athletically. After graduating from Brooklyn Tech, Jerry spent a year at the University of Pennsylvania on a football scholarship. Ultimately, he graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1951, where he discovered his love of rugby.

Jerry served his country after college, graduating second in his class at the Naval Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. From OCS, Jerry was assigned to the USS Carpenter, a destroyer that saw active service in Korea. His term of service in the Navy brought him back to New York where he served as an Admiral’s Aide.

Throughout his life Jerry shared numerous memories of the Navy, many about the lessons learned that served him well throughout his career. There were simpler experiences that put a smile on Jerry’s face as well; such as being given a freshly baked piece of bread slathered in butter while on the early morning watch.

Upon leaving the Navy, Jerry stayed in New York and joined the New York Rugby Football Club. He met a cast of characters that were legendary in the post-World War II rugby community. Among these folks was Malachy McCourt, who noted in his best-selling memoir, A Monk Swimming, that Jerry knew where to find all the attractive women on Fire Island. These were special years and Jerry recently said that among his proudest accomplishments was serving as captain as the NYRFC during the 1955 season.

It was on Fire Island that Jerry met the love of his life, Virginia Ann Sanderson, who was a junior editor at Vogue Magazine. After marrying in New York, Ginny and Jerry moved to Boston in 1960 where Jerry started a career at the Cheviot Corporation that lasted fifty years.

In 1961, Jerry and Ginny started a family with the birth of their daughter Elizabeth followed by Doug, Matt and Sarah. These were busy years but Jerry still found time to enjoy reading, playing tennis, and visiting Horse Neck Beach.

After a successful career, Jerry enjoyed a pleasant retirement with Ginny. There were times spent with his eight grandchildren, occasional travel, and reading on his back deck.

Jerry is predeceased by Ginny and is survived by his daughter Elizabeth Meade and her husband Nick of West Falmouth, Doug Lyons and his wife Deanna of Maynard, Matthew Lyons of Boston, and Sarah Canelli and her husband Peter of Darien, Connecticut.

Jerry leaves behind his loving grandchildren Jocelyn, Lindsey, and Paige Meade, Clayton Lyons and Kyle, Justin, Elizabeth and Peter Canelli.

Among Jerry’s favorite sentiments are these from the poem, There is An old Belief, by John Gibson Lockhart which begins:

There is an old belief,

That on some solemn shore,

Beyond the sphere of grief,

Dear friends shall meet once more.

Jerry’s was a life well lived and he will be missed.

A brief visitation will be held on Thursday, July 28th from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at Gillooly Funeral Home, 126 Walpole Street, Norwood. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Gerald's memory to either The Anti-Defamation League of New England or Planned Parenthood.

https://newengland.adl.org/donate-today/

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/get-involved/other-ways-give