Jeremy Payne Gaylord, 89, currently of Swampscott, Massachusetts, died peacefully on Thursday, August 7, 2025, surrounded by his family.

Known as Jerry, or "Bika" to his eleven grandchildren, he was born November 18, 1935, in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, to Robert and Helen (Newkirk) Gaylord.

He is survived by Nancy, his wife of 65 years; his three daughters and their husbands, Susannah and Jon Budington, Jennifer and Peter Donat, and Letitia and Kevin Burke, and grandchildren Allison and Emily Stoll, Jack, Matthew, and Nicholas Budington, Samantha Nolasco (Steven), Mitchell Donat (Stacie), Dean Donat, and Aidan, Tyler, and Collin Burke, as well as several neices, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his parents and his younger brother, Thomas M. Gaylord, and Thomas's wife, Frances.

Jerry attended Middlebury College in Vermont and later served proudly as a Chief Petty Officer on the USS Recovery. After an honorable discharge, he began a successful advertising career on Madison Avenue, and then eventually founded his own business, Gaylord Direct Marketing.

Jerry and Nancy raised their family in Pound Ridge, New York, where he was an active member of the community. He served as president of the Fox Lane Ski Club, played tennis, ran local races and multiple New York City Marathons, and earned his private pilot's licence. He cultivated spectacular gardens, revered Frank Sinatra, and doted on a succession of cats and dogs.

He taught his three daughters how to twirl spaghetti, crack a lobster, drive a stick shift, vacuum the pool, and deliver firm handshakes—treating them as the sons he never had. Later, he gained the boys he'd missed when Peter, Kevin, and Jon joined the family. Above all, he taught everyone to laugh hard, be kind, and love without reservation.

Jerry and Nancy retired to Bridgewater, Vermont, spending years hiking with their dogs, kayaking, snowshoeing, and skiing—pursuits he shared with his children and grandchildren, who treasured their time with him. He also joined the North Country Chordsmen singing group, though his ability to carry a tune was not passed down to his children.

Jerry will be remembered for his warmth, his gracious hospitality, his memory of names and faces, his ability to bushwack a trail, and his desire to share his wisdom with his grandchildren.

A private celebration of life will take place at a later date.