Dr. Gerald "Jerry" H. Edmonds, age 86, a resident of Belmont Village in Carol Stream, passed away on Thursday, August 11, 2022.  He was born May 19, 1936 in Plainfield, Iowa to Howard & Lois Edmonds.

Jerry grew up in Waverly, IA where he excelled in music and sports. After graduating from high school, he attended Moody Bible Institute, graduating in 1957, followed by Bachelor (1962) and Master of Music (1964) Degrees in Music Theory from the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago, IL. He joined the Moody Bible Institute faculty in 1969 and taught music courses and conducted the Moody Concert Band and later the Moody Chorale, taking each of the groups on countless concert tours across the United States and around the world over his 40-year tenure. Moody Bible Institute subsequently awarded Jerry an honorary doctorate in 2012 as well as Alumnus of the Year in 2021. Jerry was also the Minister of Music at Hillside Free Methodist Church in Evanston (1958-1962), Winnetka Bible Church in Winnetka (1962-1982), and The Moody Church in Chicago (1982-2009).

Music, sports, and the great outdoors were passions for Jerry, but his highest joy was working toward fulfilling the tasks he felt God put in front of him. Whether creating beautiful compositions for a variety of church or school events, teaching, or mentoring students, he strove for godly excellence and a deepening of our understanding of the eternity of God's love.

Jerry is survived by his wife of nearly 64 years, Irma ("Patty"); his daughter Debbie (Tim) Hollinger; his son-in-law Steve Johnson; his grandchildren Christian (Christine), Dale, and Heather Hollinger, and Cayden, Dylan, and Miles Johnson; his great-granddaughter Olive Hollinger; his sister Faith (Paul) Davis; and his sister-in-law Pat Edmonds. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Michelle Johnson, as well as his parents Howard and Lois Edmonds, sister Bonnie, and brother Roger.

A visitation will be held on Friday, September 9, 2022, from 3:30 – 8:30 p.m. at College Church in Wheaton, 332 E Seminary Ave, Wheaton, IL 60187. A memorial service will be held at the church on Saturday, September 10, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. The service will be livestreamed through this link: Memorial Service for Dr. Gerald Edmonds .