Jerold "Jerry" Jaeger

Jerold “Jerry” Jaeger, 73, of Needham, MA, passed away suddenly on May 4, 2026, from complications of SJS/TEN.

He was predeceased by his parents, Martin and Sylvia Jaeger. He is survived by his wife, Robin; his children, Emily (Rabbi Chaya Bender), Benjamin (Dr. Alexandra Lucas), and Aaron; and his cherished grandchildren, Shlomi, Asher, and Eliza. He also leaves his brother, Howard Jaeger; his sister, Debra Weiner (Joseph Weiner); and five nieces and nephews.

Jerry earned a BSEE from UMass Amherst and an MSOE from Boston University. He built a distinguished career as an electrical and communications engineer at Naval Sea Systems Command, Raytheon, MITRE Corporation, and MIT Lincoln Laboratory.

A gifted photographer with a keen eye for the unique, Jerry captured stunning landscapes, flowers, and birds. He was an active member of the Boston Camera Club, participating in exhibits and competitions, and shared his work with a wide and appreciative audience on Facebook. He had a lifelong love of music and played trumpet for many years, founding a klezmer band at Temple Aliyah. He often combined these passions by photographing musicians. More recently, he took up watercolor painting, delighting family with handmade cards for special occasions. An engineer through and through, Jerry took great pride in helping launch the robotics program at Gann Academy, mentoring its inaugural FIRST FTC team to a World Championship in their rookie year.

Jerry and his wife, Robin, shared a love of travel, spending five years exploring the country in their camper van, “Ruthie,” from Arizona to North Carolina, from Atlantic Canada to Cape Cod, and many places in between. Above all, he treasured his grandchildren, delighting in passing along his love of art and engineering.

A funeral service will be held on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at 11:00 AM at Temple Aliyah, 1664 Central Avenue, Needham, MA. The service will be livestreamed at this link: https://venue.streamspot.com/7ec3811c

Interment will follow at Wildwood Cemetery, 34 Palmer Street, Winchester, MA. For shiva information, please contact Temple Aliyah at 781-444-8522.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Jerry’s memory may be made to the Needham Community Council (https://needhamcouncil.org/give/), Plugged In Band (www.pluggedinband.org/donate), Temple Aliyah (www.templealiyah.com/giving/) or a charity of one’s choice.