Gerard “Jerry” Florence, 78, of Waynesville, passed away on Thursday, July 23, 2026, at his home, surrounded by loved ones.

The third of four children, he was born to the late Frank and Virginia Florence on October 9, 1947, in Santa Monica, CA, where he spent his early life. In addition to his parents, Jerry is preceded in death by one sister, Eileen Gallo Ross.

He went on to earn a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from San Francisco State and moved to the Oregon coast where he lived with his first wife and two children. He taught high school English at Marshfield High School in Coos Bay. Later on, he moved to Portland and worked in public relations. He met and married Susan Grimm in 1995 and relocated to Monmouth County NJ, where he worked as an advertising copywriter and creative director in NYC and NJ until his retirement in 2014. He and Susan bought a home in Waynesville, NC, that year, which is where he lived happily until his sudden and unexpected illness and death from an aggressive type of cancer. Jerry enjoyed spending time with his family, friends and several pets, and especially loved playing tennis, both at the public courts in Waynesville and at Aston Park in Asheville. He also loved living in the mountains, working on his land, and enjoying the beautiful view from their home at the top of Ratcliff Cove Road.

In addition to his wife Susan, Jerry is survived by a sister, Sheila Benson of Pacific Grove, CA; his brother Frank “Chip” Florence of El Dorado Hills, CA; his daughter Monica of Wooster, OH; his son Craig of Portland, OR, and four grandchildren, Maeve, Rhys, Carmelo and Martina.

Per Jerry’s wishes, no formal services are planned.