The Rev. Paul Ritt, pastor of Our Lady of Assumption Church in Lynnfield, said to the assemblage early in the funeral Mass that Jerry Waldron was “a remarkable man.”
The Rev. Ritt continued in his extolment, “Today we are here to thank God for the gift of Jerry’s life and to celebrate it. As I was reviewing Jerry’s life, it seems to me there is a common thread in his life: his service of others. Just think, he served his country in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He served the city of Lynn as a teacher and counselor of young people. He served in the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and as a coach and mentor in the Babe Ruth League.”
The Rev. Ritt lauded, “He held many jobs and many positions, he served many people in life, but none more important to him that his wife and children and grandchildren.”
Mr. Gerald “Jerry” Waldron, a beloved English and Social Studies teacher and guidance counselor in the Lynn school district from 1972 to 2005 and a highly successful Babe Ruth League coach and mentor to his players, passed away on June 24, 2026, following a brief illness. He was 82.
Suzanne “Sue” Waldron, speaking on behalf of the family, including her four siblings, Wendy, Melissa, Katie, and Jeff, delivered a beautiful eulogy about her father’s “full and meaningful life – a life rooted in family, friendship and community.”
Sue showed some of the glorious humor of her father, noting that “It feels somewhat ironic that services are being held here in Lynn. Forgive me, Father, but the only positive thing our dad would ever say about Lynnfield was, ‘Well, at least there’s a bus that will take you from Lynnfield back to West Lynn.’”
“Dad loved Lynn,” she affirmed. “It was where he grew up on Deer Park, where he raised a fair amount of hell in his youth, and later where he raised his own family on Purdon Avenue.”
Sue Waldron shined the spotlight deservedly on her amazing parents, Jerry and Doris Waldron, in a message of love.
“Mom and Dad built a beautiful life together over 54 years of marriage – a life filled with family and love. There was never any doubt how much Dad loved our Mom, or how much he loved his children and grandchildren. He was present in all of our lives in the way that mattered most – steadily and wholeheartedly. He coached and was our biggest fan. He showed up to countless baseball, softball, and basketball games.”
She wittily told of her father’s fledgling golf game, discovering “a real love of the game later in life,” and though his shots could be erratic at times, “what he loved more was the camaraderie that came with it. Jimmy Dakin once told my brother that if you golfed 18 holes with Jerry, you’d hear 18 different stories.”
“He loved to talk, to tell stories, to laugh, to show up, and to be surrounded by people who mattered most to him. He was loyal, funny, very opinionated, and deeply devoted to his family and friends.”
Concluding her exquisite tribute – a grand slam home run if you may – to a loyal Lynner who was loved by all, Sue Waldron said, “Dad, we love you very much and we know you are in a much better place where you can eat as many hot dogs, baked potatoes, and liver and onions as you want.”
Colleagues in education salute him
Former Lynn Superintendent of Schools Nick Kostan said Mr. Waldron lived “a wonderful life.”
“Jerry was one of the best human beings that you could ever meet,” said Kostan. “He was very ethical, moral, just a tremendous role model for kids as a great teacher and guidance counselor. He was a great teammate and great friend, just a wonderful person. And the most important thing, he was a great family man. The most important thing to him was his family.”
Former Lynn school administrator Warren White, who worked with Mr. Waldron at Breed Junior High, said his admiration for Mr. Waldron was based on his personal and professional relationships.
“Jerry Waldron was a personal friend of mine,” said White. “As a kid growing up, he was one of the older kids in the neighborhood and he was respected by all. He had great leadership skills. I had the opportunity to work with him as the principal at Breed, where he was a guidance counselor. He did a terrific job and the students loved him. He always found opportunities to let kids shine.”
White recalled how Mr. Waldron stepped up and organized all the observances for veterans at the school.
“He ran all the Veterans Day and Memorial Day assemblies and did an outstanding job with the tech-ed people. They were a heck of a team. People would come from all over to these assemblies honoring the veterans, letting the kids know how important their service to the country was. The kids were first with Jerry Waldron. He was that kind of guy.”
Also paying tribute to Mr. Waldron were former Lynn Tech Principal and college football official Bart Conlon and business owner and philanthropist David Solimine Sr., who with many others enjoyed Mr. Waldron’s majestic companionship in the weekly Shoe City Golf League at Gannon.
Special memories
Everyone has a special memory of this outstanding coach and gentleman who was known widely as a terrific storyteller.
We remember how a sports reporter from the Lynn Item traveled to Brattleboro, Vermont in 1992 to cover Mr. Waldron’s Eastern Mass. championship team that was playing in the New England finals. Though he we was totally immersed in preparations for what was one of the biggest games in Lynn youth baseball history, Mr. Waldron left his post and began walking to the other side of the diamond. Once there, Mr. Waldron approached the reporter and said simply, “Thank you for being here for our boys.” That gesture of gratitude and kindness has never been forgotten by this writer.
Nor has Mr. Waldron’s brilliant coaching, his superior knowledge of baseball, and the perfect manner in which he coached his son, Jeff. It was clear at that point in his Babe Ruth Baseball career that Jeff was a standout among a team of all-stars and was headed to greater heights in the sport. With his keen eye for talent, Mr. Waldron certainly knew that his son had special gifts and amazing potential, but he never boasted or sought special recognition for Jeff. He treated all players on teams he coached like they were his own sons.
Buoyed by the love and support of his father, Jerry and his mother, Doris, and his sisters – Jeff, as outstanding a person off the field as he was on – achieved so much in his baseball career.
After a superb multi-sport career in high school, Jeff excelled in Division 1 baseball at Boston College where he is an inductee in the Hall of Fame. He realized the dream of every baseball player by being drafted (twice) by Major League Baseball teams and playing professionally. Jeff carried on his father’s legacy in the field of education at Masconomet Regional High School.
Mr. Gerald “Jerry” Waldron has coached his last game. The inspiring message that his three grandchildren, Sadie, Wes, and Max will always have, the remembrance they will hold dearly, just as the Rev. Paul Ritt told the assemblage on Wednesday, July 1, 2026: their grandfather was indeed “a remarkable man.”
Thank you, Mr. Waldron, for all you did for others. You made Lynn a better place.
Former Superintendent of Schools Nick Kostan said Mr. Waldron lived “a wonderful life.”
Former Lynn principal Warren White said his admiration