Jerry Marlowe

After recently celebrating his 90th birthday with a few sips of champagne, Jerry Marlowe, beloved father, husband, friend and a working pharmacist for over 57 years, passed away peacefully at his home following a period of declining health on March 8th surrounded by his family. 

Born on February 12, 1936 he was the son of the late William McKinley Marlowe, founding pharmacist of Marlowe’s Drugstore in the 1930’s, and Fannie Leona (Stratton), a legend in her own time. Jerry graduated from Dover High School in 1954 and went on to study at The Ohio State University where he also joined the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. 

Jerry lived a life filled with love, dedication and kindness that touched the hearts of all who knew him. When you hear his name, many things come to mind: wild hats, outrageous stunts to enter the Ohio State-Michigan games (even with ticket in his pocket), a long list of The Little Theater performances, gourmet cooking and an incredibly warm and friendly Dover/New Phila pharmacist always going the extra mile to care for his customers. In later years he started Marlowe’s Home Health Care, serving nursing homes locally and state wide. When the business was sold he continued as a compounding pharmacist operating Marlowe’s Compounding in Dover until retirement. Jerry began his pharmacy career in 1961 after graduating from Ohio State University School of Pharmacy, and then worked as a pharmacist alongside his brother, Dave, in the family business. 

But, he still followed his passions for cooking and acting as he attended workshops nationally and abroad……then sharing his talents by joining The Little Theatre and conducting fun cooking classes, dubbed “Wild in the Kitchen”, sometimes featuring famous chefs from around the country and abroad. For many years, Jerry has joined other local celebrities by preparing dishes for Culinary Capers, an event to benefit Hospice, as well as serving auctioned-off dinners at his home for other community benefits. His cooking adventures have been written in countless publications and he was filmed for demos on our local TV station back-in-the-day. Jerry also appeared on PM Magazine and the Cleveland based Dave Patterson Show. A fun video made locally at Dinolfo’s Restaurant can be found on YouTube called “The Cod Father” featuring cooking the ‘fish’. 

Other fun antics that also made the news: a one-on-one interview with Julia Child at a Cleveland restaurant and gate crashing the VIP gathering for Frank Sinatra after his concert for the opening of the Coliseum near Cleveland. Together, Jerry and Dave sponsored many Tuscarawas Philharmonic Children’s Christmas concerts offering cookies during intermission, and served on the orchestra’s Board of Directors. Additionally, Jerry was a member of Grace Lutheran Church, Dover Rotary Club, Masonic Lodge of Dover, Dover Historical Society and was recipient of many awards for community service. He kept current with continuing pharmacy education with the American Pharmaceutical Association and the Ohio Pharmaceutical Association and served on the Ohio State University School of Pharmacy Board of Governors, attending his last meeting at OSU in 2022. 

The family would like to express their gratitude to Hospice for the outstanding patient care and comfort throughout his lengthy illness. Jerry worked closely with them professionally and charitably from the beginning of its inception in our community, and as it was his favorite charity organization we suggest donations to them in lieu of flowers. Jerry is survived and will be sadly missed by his wife of 69 years, the former Mary Wilhelmina Witsberger (Willi), and daughters, Chris (Henry) Kalouche of Gahanna, Kathy Basiletti of Dover, and Jan (Jeff) Bryan of Dover; grandchildren, Ethan Bryan (companion Cassandra) of Dover, Sidney Kalouche of San Francisco, Gabrielle Kalouche of Seattle, Harry Bryan of Dover, Simone Basiletti of Dover, Nora Bryan of Dover, Arthur Bryan of Dover; great-granddaughter, Maggie Bryan of Dover; a cousin John Stratton; and many nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Jerry was preceded in death by his brother, David Reese.

Friends are invited to a memorial service at Geib Funeral Center in Dover on Sunday, March 15 beginning at 2 p.m. It will be followed by a celebration of his “wonderful life” from 2:30 and 5 p.m. The Little Theater goers will fondly remember Jerry’s final appearances in the role of Clarence (the angel) in several seasons of the holiday play – “It’s a Wonderful Life”… Good-bye Clarence!

**Lovingly written by Willi Marlowe