JEROME "JERRY" LYNN ANDERSON

JEROME LYNN ANDERSON October 28, 1938 – August 2, 2024 Jerry was born in Bloomington, Illinois to Earl Anderson and Eunice Miller. They moved to Tucson, Arizona in 1945 when Jerry’s mother was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, and it was known that the desert would provide a good environment for her to live out her life. The Anderson Family, including his brothers Fremont and Terence, bought their first home on Baxter just east of Pima, north of Dodge. Terence survives him. During his youth, Jerry sang with the Tucson Boys Chorus, traveling across America sharing music. As a young man, Jerry developed two passions: art and riding motorcycles. He graduated from Tucson High School in 1956, and became the State Champion for dirt track racing that same year. In 1963, Jerry married Marjorie Taylor. Not long after that, during a Hare and Hound motorcycle race in the desert, a catastrophic accident left Jerry paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. He turned his focus toward art, and put himself back through college graduating with a Master’s degree in Art in 1967 from the University of Arizona. In 1968 Jerry and Marjorie left the Sonoran Desert for Los Angeles, California, where he taught at UCLA and Harbor College and he became a renowned artist. Jerry’s unique, bold style earned him a rightful place among California’s original artists of that era. His marriage ended in the early 1970s. Jerry’s teaching career led him to the University of California – Irvine, where he met Patty Sue Crook in 1986. They fell in love and soon married. He helped raise Patty Sue’s two daughters, Michael and Rachel. The family returned to Tucson in 1992 where Jerry continued practicing his art and restored old Triumph motorcycles, which are now held in private collections. Jerry was an incredible human being, teacher, friend, husband, and lover. He will forever be remembered for his incredible contributions to the art world, inspiring thousands of students and fellow artists alike. Jerry was highly attuned to natural beauty, and found joy in watching desert sunsets, meteor showers, and soaking up moments of quiet. Those who knew him describe Jerry as passionate, adventurous, present, and eccentric. A Celebration of Life will be held just before Jerry’s birthday, on October 26 at 2 p.m. at his studio (49 W. Plata), directly behind the old Wildcat House and Brother John’s BBQ on Stone Avenue. You are invited to attend, share stories and memories, and celebrate his life