Jerry Gross: Former Croton Resident

Longtime Croton resident Jerry Gross died in Santa Monica, California on Sunday, July 6 in the loving presence of his wife, Arlene.

He was born and educated in New York City and graduated from City College of New York, cum laude in English. He worked in key editorial positions in major publishing houses including New American Library; Warner Books Dodd, Mead; Everest House; and Paperback Library. Jerry created the Gothic romance and Regency romance as paperback categories. He became an expert in Edmund Pearson while putting together an anthology of his work, Masterpieces of Murder.

Jerry created the first TV/Movie paperback tie-in and in the heyday of mass market paperback publishing, he introduced Edgar Cayce, Georgette Heyer, Phyllis A. Whitney, and many others to a wide audience. Among his many publications, Jerry compiled two of the essential books on publishing, all of which went through subsequent editions, PUBLISHERS ON PUBLISHING and EDITORS ON EDITING, which is still in print.

Jerry and Arlene lived in Brooklyn Heights during the early years of their marriage and they eventually moved to Croton-on-Hudson, New York, where they lived for over 40 years, and where they raised their daughter Alison and their twin sons, Adam and Seth. In later years, Arlene and Jerry delighted in visits from their granddaughters Grace and Lily.

Jerry, a true New Yorker at heart, never learned to drive, which meant that he had to and could get anywhere he wanted on foot in the village of Croton, particularly to places like the Croton Free Library and, for the occasional lunch, the best of its restaurants over the years. Jerry and Arlene were both active in the Croton Shakespeare Festival, and Jerry served a term as president during the 1970s.

Jerry, as an editor, was also someone devoted to healing the world through writing. Apart from his family, nothing meant as much to him as the nurturing and guidance of people who had the talent to tell stories but had not yet recognized it. He opened wide the gate for so many writers and will be mourned by all of them, even as they, like his legion of friends, celebrate his life and his kindness.

Jerry’s family and friends will celebrate his life at a memorial service later this year. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to:

Croton Free Library
171 Cleveland Drive
Croton in Hudson, NY 10520