Jay Lerner

January 5th, 2024

Our condolences to Debbie and Family,
So sorry to hear of Jay’s passing.

We were Skokie Gold Coin friends. He was always sitting at the counter with Jeff Justman, Al Lechter, and some other guys too. We were friends with Jody & Fane too. May Jay rest peacefully.
Hugs,
Sheila Silver-Brown & Chuck Brown

~Sheila Silver-Brown
~Friend, Wheeling IL

January 4th, 2024

Dear Debbie and family,
Thinking of you all during this very difficult time. Sending my deepest sympathy . Jay was a very special person in our life and Family. I’m even though it’s been years, he always wrote such heartfelt words about Fane on his birthday. Even my girls would mention to me. Heaven gained an incredible guy… Fane and Jay are up there together once again. May his memories be a blessing for you all to cherish forever. 🙏🏻❤️. Jodi

~Jodi D Gordon
~Friend, Lake worth Florida

January 3rd, 2024

Jay Lerner Image 7

~Stuart Linderman

January 3rd, 2024

Jay Lerner Image 6

~Stuart Linderman

January 3rd, 2024

Jay Lerner Image 5

~Stuart Linderman

January 3rd, 2024

Jay Lerner Image 4

~Stuart Linderman

January 3rd, 2024

Jay Lerner Image 3

~Stuart Linderman

January 3rd, 2024

Jay Lerner Image 2

~Stuart Linderman

January 3rd, 2024

Jay Lerner image 1

~Stuart Linderman

January 2nd, 2024

Jay and I were classmates from 1957 (4th grade, Peterson School) thru high school (1966, Von Steuben) and then casually close in college. When I started dating the woman that I would later marry, we re-met, so to speak, and between june 1970 and about mid-1976 we were nearly inseparable. When someone was looking for one of us, finding the other was sufficient – the other would be close-by.

Jay was the best man at our wedding. Attached is a photo of Jay and Andi going to his bowling banquet in June of 1972. In 1970 we started a business doing, of all things, tuneups in Jay’s parent’s garage and made e nough to sustain us in playing softball five nights a week and spending six hours EVERY night at the Gold Coin in Evanston. Jay was truly awful at car mechanics but somehow I convinced him that he could do it. His big test came when he did a tuneup on his own and when the car wouldn’t start he called me, in desperation, from the toilet in the basement. He eventually got the car moving but from that time on, refused to be alone with an engine. He told me that he was fine being my ‘scrub nurse’.

Jay was fun to be with and I miss those days.

A funny recollection from high school: We were in Algebra in our first semester and the class was filled with ‘brainiacs’ (his word), the most accomplished of whom was Nancy Weinstein, who excelled at everything she did. Anyway, during the first hour exam Nancy went over to Mr Cohen, crying, about how difficult the test was and that he hadn’t covered much of the material cited on the test. At which point Jay, seated directly in front of me (Lerner – Linderman) tore up his test, placed it on the desk, and took out the sports section of the Times and spent the rest of the time reading it. When he was challenged by Mr Cohen, Jay replied, (and this is an exact quote) “If this test brought Nancy to tears, then I have no chance.” (PS. Mr Cohen threw-out the exam and we re-did it a week or so later). Jay insisted that it wasn’t Nancy’s crying but his action that did the trick. Nobody bought into that idea.

I sent him a birthday text on December 9 and he said “We should get together sometime”. I’m sorry that I didn’t see more urgency in that. If you believe in this sort of thing, Jay and Andi are together, reminiscing, waiting patiently for me and Debbie.

To Debbie, I want to say that Jay was as dedicated a husband as I’ve ever encountered and to Randy, your dad should represent to you the template for what a dad should be.

I will miss my friend, Jay Alfred.
Stuart

~Stuart Linderman
~Friend, Wilmette, IL

January 1st, 2024

Too many to mention…. Best hot dogs, and it was the social media of the day!!! Lol..Jay was a true mensch and wonderful human being. May his memory be a blessing .
Dr Geri Picker David

~Geri David
~Friend, LAS VEGAS

January 1st, 2024

I have such fond memories of Jay growing up. Always a friend to everyone and a pretty good softball player, especially at pinners at Peterson. I moved away to Lincolnwood at the end of my Freshman year at Von, and so I lost touch with Jay.
The memories of Lerner’s with Bobby & Jay Lerner will be everlasting in my mind.
27 years ago I married Adriane Kellerman who is a relative of the Lerner family through her cousins in the Block family.
We express our profound condolences to the Lerner family…..you have lost a real mensch and a great example of a loving husband, father and grandfather.
May the days ahead give you the strength to heal and cling to the all the great memories of a really great guy.

With love, Adriane and Bob Leavitt; Scottsdale, Arizona

~Robert ( Bobby) Leavitt
~Friend, Scottsdale, Arizona

January 1st, 2024

Best friend you could ask for!
Like a brother
Will be missed!

~Jon Corchin
~Friend, DesPlaines

December 31st, 2023

As I grew up with Jay my familly always had hotdogs and hamburgers from lerners on Sunday nights. This tradition went on for many years throughout grammar school and into the high school days. Used to love showing us how the dog that his uncle had at the restaurant was so trained as he put a bowl of food down and his uncle Seymour if I recall would say to the dog TRAIF which means the food is not kosher and then, after a few seconds, while the dog was staring at the food, he would yell kosher, and then the dog would move forward and eat the food. Jay loved, showing us that whenever we would come by to pick up our hotdogs and hamburgers.. Jay and his family were very much a part of my growing up back in the day . I am sure he is already looking for a place to begin cooking hot dogs again!! God Bless you Jay RIP. Hiffy !

~Mark Hoffman
~Friend, Wheeling

December 31st, 2023

Jay and I had many good times growing up. From spending many years at Peterson school playground to our fantastic 4 years at Von there are so many good memories. Spending g almost 4 days a week at lunch at Lerners and arguing with his father how much better the Sox were than the Cubs and then spending 72 cents for 2 hot dogs fries and a Coke. We played baseball together and had a lot of fun at Hollywood Park. He was always an up person and a lot of fun to be with. Although we did not keep on touch I always remembered hom for the good tImes we did have. RIP my friend

Larry Karchmar Northbrook

~Larry Karchmar
~Friend, Chicago, Il

December 30th, 2023

Gone, but not forgotten. Good men never are.

~Harvey Dorman
~Friend, Wheeling, Illinois

December 30th, 2023

So sorry to hear of Jay’s passing. One of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. Great memories of Jay’s Dad,Uncle,Grandma, and cousins from Lerner’s on Kedzie, and later from Hollywood Park.

Our heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the Family.

Vicki and Bobby Criz

~Bobby Criz
~Friend,

December 30th, 2023

Grew up with Jay and the Lerner family. Watched Randy grow up into the fine man he is today. My condolences to the family.

~Pam Ferrari Polakow
~Friend, Mundelein Il

December 29th, 2023

I wanted to share this picture from one
Of our Von lunches that Jay attended.
Joyce Katz

~Joyce Katz
~Friend from Von, Wheeling

December 29th, 2023

Jay was one of those people that you just liked from the moment you met him. He was a jovial man with a huge heart. He was a phenomenal husband, father and Grandfather aka “Papa” that Loved his family deeply.

Although my face-to-face time spent with Jay was often limited to the Holidays like Memorial Day, I kept in touch with him more frequently through Face Book over the years. There, we always kept up with each-others’ lives and the many celebrations such as Randy’s wedding, the birth of those adorable Grandchildren, and Jay & Debbie’s many Anniversaries.

In closure, although Jay is no-longer physically with us, He lives on in our hearts ‘ and memories.

Sincerely,
David

~David Margolis
~Cousin, Rockford, iL.

December 28th, 2023

Jay was everyone’s friend if you grew up in Hollywood park. I have the fondest memories of hanging out with Jay at the park. Of course we always saw him at Lerners for the best hot dogs. I’m so glad I saw him this past summer at our Von lunch. Sending my
Condolences to his family and friends. Rest in peace Jay. Love Joyce

~Joyce Sporn Katz
~Friend from Von, Wheeling