Jerome "Jerry" Berger, 88, of Spencertown, NY died peacefully on Monday, October 13, 2014 at Albany Medical Center with his loving companion at his side. A man of great passions, Jerry loved slow-cooked barbeque, freshly-roasted coffee, well-tailored suits, a night at the theatre, jazz music, and classical ballet. He will be remembered for his sartorial style and razor-sharp wit, his skills as a cook and a tennis player, and his encyclopedic knowledge of music and literature. Born in Bellville, IL on March 26, 1926, Jerry was the youngest of three children of Herman and Molly (Smith) Berger, who emigrated from Russia. He graduated from high school during World War II and enlisted in the United States Army serving with the 10th Mountain Division in the Italian theater. Upon returning from the war, Jerry studied literature at Washington University in Saint Louis, MO. He married Ruth Sacks in 1949 and together they had three daughters. An early job in real estate led to a career in urban planning where Jerry's most notable accomplishment was LaClede Town, an experimental, counterculture housing development the St. Louis Post-Dispatch described as "a little piece of Camelot." LaClede Town attracted national attention as a model of racial integration and mixed income housing. During this time the arts district known as Gaslight Square also flourished, making St. Louis a national destination for music and culture, and at its heart was a club called the Crystal Palace owned by Jerry's great friends the brothers Fred and Jay Landesman. Jerry was a habitué of the Crystal Palace where he met many of the most influential jazz musicians of the day and went on to host his own weekly jazz radio program. As political and social tides shifted in the early 1970s, Jerry left St. Louis to live in Morocco with Paula (Berwald) Landesman, widow of Fred Landesman, who would later become his wife. The couple eventually returned to the United States and lived for many years in their famously eccentric apartment at the Osborne, near Carnegie Hall in Manhattan. In 1980 Jerry and Paula built their home high atop a hill in Spencertown, NY and for two decades they divided their time between the buzz of New York and the quiet of the country. Paula died in August of 2000 and almost immediately after that Jerry began a long and difficult battle with cancer. When he was finally pronounced him cancer-free, Jerry retired to Spencertown where he was surrounded by many good friends including the writers Wesley Brown and Peter Biskind. In his late years Jerry turned his attention to progressive political causes, working as a fundraiser for local and national candidates and as a volunteer for the voter's rights organization Election Protection. He also immersed himself in the cultural life of the Berkshires frequently attending performances at Jacob's Pillow, Tanglewood, and many regional theaters. Jerry combined his love of food and culture in founding a volunteer group called "Let Eat!" that catered receptions and fundraisers for Spencertown Academy Arts Center. For the past several years Jerry spent the winter months in Naples, Florida and enjoyed hosting his -family and friends in the tropical sunshine. Jerry is survived by his dear companion, Mary Anne Lee of Spencertown, his three daughters: Mindy Sciales (Joe); Shelley Gibbons; and Molly Shaikewitz, all of St. Louis, and his four stepsons: Rocco Landesman (Deborah), Knight Landesman (Jennifer Petit), and Cliff Landesman (Shanny Peer), of New York, and Wyatt Landesman of San Francisco. His legacy will be carried on by his grandchildren: Lizzie Berman, J. Ryan Gibbons, Cristina Tash, Nina Bastow, Caroline, Emily, and Joseph Shaikewitz and his step-grandchildren: North, Nash, Dodge, King, Otto, Chance and Mira Landesman, and by eight great-grandchildren: Sophia, Sadie, Grace, Chase,  Hunter, Finn, Quinn, and Giuliana. A memorial service celebrating Jerry's remarkable life will be held on Saturday, October 25, 2014 at St. Peter's Church in Spencertown beginning at 11:30am. Contributions in Jerry's memory can be directed to the Columbia Arts & Humanities Project at Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, PO Box 400, Sheffield, MA or berkshiretaconic.org. The fund supports arts in education in local public schools, a cause Jerry and Mary Anne have championed for several years.  Special thanks to Dr. William Murphy and the staff at Chatham Family Care, Rev. Drew Patton and the congregation of St. Peter's Church, and Jack Shear and the staff of the Ellsworth Kelly Studio. Funeral arrangements provided by French, Gifford, Preiter & Blasl Funeral Home, Chatham, NY.