Jerry’s Story

Loving husband and father, Churchville Fire Marshall, entrepreneur, RV traveler, and the Monroe County Apple Pie Baking Contest 2x winner – Jerry Spotts’ life is full of fascinating stories.

If you enter St. Ann’s Community at The Greens, you may bump into Jerry and his 5 pound companion, Midge the Poodle. She is his full-time partner, who gets Jerry out of bed every morning (literally) by nudging him to make her breakfast. When his friends – new and old – walk by him in the hallway, they all joyfully greet him and Midge. He’s the type of neighborhood friend that everyone loves to have.

Born in Brockport, raised in Chili, and settled in Churchville, Jerry became a businessman at the age of 14, when he sold his first fire extinguisher (for $19.04) to fund his trip to the World Boy Scouts Jamboree in Valley Forge in 1950. What happened after that can only be described as the snowball effect – and Jerry’s love for all things fire related grew over the years into Churchville Fire Equipment, a multi-million dollar company, now with multiple locations, still successfully operating today!

Jerry’s professional life went hand-in-hand with his love for adventure, and he is lucky to have traveled much of the world attending conventions and tradeshows, everywhere from Hawaii to Berlin. With his wife Hazel by his side, they became avid fans of RVing, touring the US with their children and dogs. Life on the road was exciting for him and his wife. He recalls one time when they spotted a sign that said President Madison’s house – and they thought, ‘Why not! I’ve never been.’ This RV lifestyle allowed for spontaneity you don’t get with travel by air or train.

Just last year, in April of 2020, Jerry’s Friend Dave – who was just 2 years younger than him at Churchville High School, and whom he served with in the National Guard, called him on the phone and suggested he come and take a look at St. Ann’s Community at The Greens. Since traveling the US was no chore, Jerry and Midge packed their suitcases and planted new roots in LeRoy, NY – where he now is a living his best life.

When Jerry thinks about life at The Greens, three words come to mind: Peace, Home and Independence.

Peace: “I am more at peace here at The Greens than I have ever been in my life. Prior to moving here, I had a lot of responsibilities – too many – I was always racing from here to there. Now, I am at peace – My lifestyle does not bring the same level of concern that it did before. I’m taking more time to relax.”

Home: “The Greens is so much more than I could have imagined. This community encourages independence, safety, and the ability to socialize. I am absolutely thrilled to be here. I have sprinkler system, an illuminated hallway, and a backup generator for my safety. I walk out my door to a fresh made breakfast each morning. I have friends down the hall… and when I want to go to out to breakfast or church, I come and go as I please. It’s a perfect home for me, filled with my photos, furniture, and belongings.”

Independence: “When I moved to The Greens, I wanted to help put some of my daughter’s worries at ease. She was always thinking about my meals, and if my apartment was tidy. I want to be responsible for myself, and to remain independent as long as I can. As her parent I want to be prepared, have a plan, and to take care of myself in the best way possible. So here I am, at The Greens.”

Jerry will claim that if it doesn’t have the letters FIRE in it – he doesn’t know anything about it. But that’s far from true, Jerry’s knowledge on life, love, Western New York, business, and adventure is never-ending. As a Fire Chief in Rochester once told him, “Recover from your mistakes in a hurry.” However, there’s no mistaking it – life at The Greens is a great fit for him!

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