Jerry Lee Botkin Jr.

Jerry Lee Botkin, Jr., age 54 of Wooster, went home to be with the Lord on Sunday September 14, 2025 at University Hospital Cleveland Medical Center. He was surrounded by his loving family.

He was born on October 15, 1970 in Wooster to Jerry Lee (Carol) Botkin, Sr. and Barbara Ann Denton. During his life, he lived in Conyers, GA, Columbus, OH, Belvidere, IL, and he returned to Wooster after his retirement.

Jerry obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Business Management from Rasmussen College and worked for over 20 years at HSBC as a Call Center Architect.

He married his loving wife, Cheryl Lynn Zimmerman, at the Saint Peter's United Church of Christ in Apple Creek, OH on September 5, 1992.

Jerry was the first to tell a joke, reference a movie, or blurt an obscure pop trivia fact. He had a lifelong love of music and enjoyed playing guitar and drums, collecting records and discovering new music, and attending concerts with loved ones. His deep, deep passion for film and TV, both good and bad, led him to join the Shudder Horror Film Group and host online viewings through his You tube channel, Saturday Night Grind. He also loved sports (any sport) but mostly Chicago sports, loyal even when his chosen teams were terrible (Go Bears).

He was the rock of the family, and it was clear that he valued that role and loved his family more than anything else. He was legendary for hosting family gatherings, smoking briskets, and, oftentimes, creatively accommodating dietary restrictions. He would fill the house to the point of bursting with food to feed his gaggles of goofballs.

"He made sure that everybody was gonna eat good." – Zachary Zimmerman

"Not one to shy away from an odd seasoning. Some of it was gross. Most of it was delicious." – Candace Goddard

We are devastated at his loss.

He is survived by his daughter, Krista Elaine Botkin (Kevin Fitzgerald) of Eureka, CA; his brother, Bruce (Grace) Gerber of Columbus, OH; sisters, Juliana Gower of Wooster, OH; Addie (Michael) Burden of Canal Fulton, OH; and Candace (Harry) Goddard of Galesburg, MI; brother-in-law, Craig (Jen) Zimmerman of Wooster, OH; kind-of-adopted daughter, Jori Palzer; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and his faithful canine companions, Radar, Waylon, Jasper, and Chewy.

He joins his son, Trevor Cory Allen Botkin, father- and mother-in-law, Tommy "Tom" and Susan Zimmerman, paternal grandparents, John and Marjorie Botkin, maternal grandparents, Jesse Porter and Iva Brubaker, and uncle, Fred Brubaker.

Memorial services will take place at 2:00 pm, on Sunday, September 21, 2025, at Custer-Glenn Funeral Home in Wooster with Craig Zimmerman officiating.

A private interment will take place at Wooster Cemetery at a later date at the convenience of the family.

Memorial contributions may be made In lieu of flowers to The Gift of Music Foundation at giftofmusic.org

Words of condolences may be shared with the family at: www.custerglenn.com.