Geraldine Ophelia Gowdy, fondly known as “Jerre”, a philanthropist and longtime supporter of the arts, medicine, and civic institutions in Boston and Palm Beach, Fla., and the wife of the Hall of Fame, nationally known sports broadcaster Curt Gowdy, died peacefully at her home in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass., on January 27, 2026. She was 101 and surrounded by family after a long, vibrant, and fulfilling life.
Born on September 26, 1924, near Oklahoma City, Jerre was raised there by her parents, William Eldridge Dawkins and Mabel Lee Dawkins, alongside her brother, June Dawkins. While studying at the University of Oklahoma, where she earned her undergraduate degree in 1948 and later completed a master’s degree in communications, she met Curt Gowdy, whom she married soon after. Their marriage, which lasted 56 years, shaped the life she built and the family she cherished.
She was deeply engaged in philanthropic life for decades. In Boston, she supported a wide range of medical, cultural, and civic organizations, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Jimmy Fund; the New England Baptist Hospital League; the Lahey Clinic; the Schepens Eye Research Institute; the Boston Ballet; and the Boston Repertory Theatre Company. She served as chairwoman of the American Heart Ball and organized charitable events benefiting healthcare and the arts.
Later, in Palm Beach, Fla., she continued her philanthropic work, supporting organizations focused on child welfare, medical research, and community life. She chaired fundraising events for the American Heart Association and supported both local initiatives and national charities introduced to the Palm Beach community.
In addition to her philanthropic pursuits, she served as president of the Curt Gowdy Broadcasting Corporation from 1963 to 1980, helping guide its growth as a radio broadcasting enterprise in Florida, Massachusetts, and Wyoming.
In later years, Jerre and Curt Gowdy divided their time between Boston, Mass., Palm Beach, Fla., and Cheyenne, Wyo., where she became deeply involved in conservation and educational initiatives at Curt Gowdy State Park. She led long-term fundraising efforts to improve the park, including the development of a multi-million-dollar visitors center in collaboration with the Wyoming Legislature and John Morris, the founder of Bass Pro Shops. She supported her daughter Cheryl’s creation of the Little House on the Park, an educational space designed to introduce young visitors to nature and stewardship.
She is survived by her three children: Cheryl Ann Gowdy of Palm Beach and Boston; Curt Gowdy Jr. and his wife, Karen, of New Canaan, Conn.; and Trevor Gowdy and his wife, Gigi, of Beverly Farms, Mass. She is also survived by her grandchildren: Charlotte Taylor Carlson and her husband, Luke Carlson, and their children, Chase Curtis Carlson and Josephine Bell Carlson; Katherine Gowdy Pridham and her husband, Erik Pridham, and their children, Nora Rose Pridham and John Michael Pridham; Alexa Gowdy Draddy and her husband, Vince Draddy; Grace Elizabeth Gowdy; and Trevor Curtis Gowdy.
A funeral service will be held on Saturday, February 7, at 10 a.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Beverly Farms, Mass. Burial will follow at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Mass. Arrangements are by Campbell Funeral Home of Beverly.
In lieu of flowers the family has asked donations be made to the Curt Gowdy State Park Family Fund, Donor Advisory Fund/Wyoming Community Foundation, 1472 N. 5th St., Suite 201, Laramie, WY.82072. The Wyoming Community Foundation is a non-profit chartable 501c(3) organization.
