Jerry Shaye and I met in 1991, the year that the Albany-Tula Alliance (ATA) had its beginning in the conference room of Mayor Thomas Whalen III. Jerry was a member of the small group that worked to establish the ATA and was a member of the functioning organization. After a few years he left the ATA for several years but then returned active until his death, Sunday, August 22, 2021. He was the sixth and longest serving Chairman of the ATA.
As many people have said; Jerry was a “people person.” He loved to teach and talk and he loved to travel. He made many trips to Russia and nearby countries and spent considerable time in Tula. He established important connections and relationships and nurtured them for the ATA and his personal friendships. I think that he taught in the Tolstoy Pedagogical University and Tula State University during each of his trips. Jerry also worked for many years to develop business relations between Tula and the Capital Region. People on both sides of the world who knew Jerry were pleased and impressed with his uncanny memory for people’s names, and his pronunciation of Russian names (better than most Americans).
Jerry not only talked about the need for the understanding and communication with people of other nations and cultures, he lived his life working for it. Jerry made his mark and left and received knowledge and friendships from the beginning of his careers in Venezuela, Russia, former Soviet Union countries, and the United States. Jerry was treasured by people around the world, and we will miss him.
A Sister City Organization
