Dr. Jerry Mathew Hark—a loving devoted husband, father, grandfather & great grandfather and a dedicated dentist, proud Air Force veteran, and past Commodore of the Margate City Yacht Club—peacefully passed away on June 10, 2026, at the age of 88. Jerry was a man of boundless energy, a husband, and father who spent his life building a beautiful legacy for his family, fueled by a deep love for the skiing, boating, the sandy beaches of Margate, NJ, and the people he cherished most.

Born on December 10, 1937, Jerry was a true Philadelphia native. He grew up in the Overbook neighborhood at 51st and Diamond Streets, where he walked the halls of Overbrook High School. Jerry pursued his higher education at Temple University, graduating from both the college and the Temple University School of Dentistry, cementing a lifelong connection to his hometown institutions.

It was during a 1953 summer trip to the shore that Jerry met the love of his life, Diane at the Rock on Lafayette Beach in Ventnor, NJ. The connection they forged by the ocean blossomed into a beautiful, lifelong marriage. Married at Adeth Israel in Lower Merion on June 7, 1959, they began their best lives together, just recently celebrating their 67th wedding anniversary three days before his passing. They were just celebrated for being the longest standing members of Temple Beth Hillel (54 years).

Shortly after finishing his dental studies, Jerry joined the United States Air Force, serving his country as a military dentist stationed in Plattsburgh, New York. While the cold winters of upstate New York were a shift from Philadelphia, they sparked what would become one of his greatest lifelong passions: skiing. Jerry fell in love with the sport and successfully passed that deep love for the mountains down to his entire family. With his kids, Jerry and Diane travelled to almost every east-coast ski resort in the 80's seeking the finest powder. Diane’s homemade mountain lunches are everyone’s famous memory.

But his first true love, after Diane, was the water. It all started as a teenager, making money cleaning and captaining fishing boats on the docks in Margate and Atlantic City NJ. He was an avid fisherman and an original 50's stink potter who transitioned to a rag-bag sail boater in the 70's. That is when Jerry and Diane took up sailing, eventually becoming an integral part of the Margate City Yacht Club where he served as its Commodore. Jerry and Diane devoted the family to countless summers to this venerable institution. This is where his own love of sailing became a family-wide devotion to the water and oceans. Because of Jerry and Diane's love of the water, almost every family vacation involved a boat.

He was an avid connoisseur of sailboats, taking immense pride in the vessels they owned, and he captained over the years. From their prized Catalina, then Sabre, to a 40' O'Day, and eventually a Beneteau, these boats brought Jerry and Diane endless joy with family and friends. Together, they navigated the Chesapeake Bay, Jersey Shore, and the Caribbean, sailing the back bays and coastal ports chasing a sunset with a hoagie in one hand and a margarita (or French red wine) in another. Jerry and Diane’s passion for exploration also extended across the globe. He was an avid traveler, skiing the peaks of Western North America and journeying all over Europe, where he took special joy in tasting the fine food and wines of France. While Diane painted the vistas and landscapes, Jerry would patiently read, nap, or attend to the ever-present crossword or jumble!

Professionally, Jerry was a force of determination. He operated as a solo practitioner, family dentist providing "pain free" dentistry in Delaware County for 48 years. Upon his retirement from full-time private practice, Jerry transitioned his decades of expertise into the classroom and clinic. He became an Associate Clinical Professor, first returning to his alma mater, the Temple University Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry, and later teaching at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, mentoring the next generation of dental professionals.

Yet, for all his business acumen and adventures abroad, Jerry’s ultimate goal was remarkably grounded: to be there for his family. He made sure he was home every single day to have dinner with Diane, and to be on the beach with his family, friends, and eventually his eleven grandchildren. He was happiest at the shore, running the board walk, sailing a Hobie cat from Quincy Ave Beach, eating crabs, and Diane' eggplant parm. His perfect day ended exactly there—on the beach, surrounded by family, or sitting on the porch with his favorite cocktail at the end of a hot summer beach day.

Jerry is survived by his beloved wife, Diane Hark; his devoted four children, Lisa and her partner Darwin, David and his wife Cinde, and his twin sons, Jeffrey and his wife Stacy, and Richard and his wife Pam. He is the treasured grandfather of Jamie, Brett, Rachel, Louis, Joel, Alexandra, Mitchell, Samantha, Nicholas, Lily, and Mathew and great grandfather of Max. He is predeceased by his brother Sandy and mother and father, Ester and Samual Hark.