Dr. Jerrold John Behringer

Dr. Jerrold John Behringer passed peacefully on August 25, 2024 in Defiance, Ohio, age 92. He is the son of John Louis Behringer and Lydia Amelia Mary Bauman Behringer. Jerry attended Defiance High School, where he played a variety of sports, with football as his favorite. When his favorite coach became a professor and coach at the College of Wooster, Jerry chose Wooster for college.

At Wooster, Jerry was credited for much of the success of the football program. He graduated a year early to the dismay of his Wooster teammates.

Jerry was accepted a year early to the OSU Dental School. While there, he played IM football, and his team became the winningest IM team on campus. Scouts for OSU saw him play, and Woody Hayes invited him to join the OSU football team for his remaining year of eligibility. The Dean of the Dental School quickly nixed that dream.

When the sound of the dental drills damaged his hearing, Jerry contemplated becoming a coach but decided to go back to school and become an orthodontist.

Against the advice of many who thought Defiance was too small to support an orthodontics practice, Jerry proved them wrong, starting his practice in Defiance and adding orthodontists and multiple locations in northwest Ohio. In Defiance, Jerry served on the Boards of Defiance College and the YMCA, and was active in Rotary and at Saint John's Lutheran Church where he led the effort during a remodeling, to save the beautiful carved alter and the statue of Jesus. He took up sailing and purchased a boat in Canada which he sailed from Canada to the Great Lakes. He was the ultimate OSU sports fan and attended OSU football games every year until recently.

Jerry retired early and moved to Sarasota, Florida to play golf and enjoy the warm weather. When he couldn’t golf anymore, he moved to Charlotte for a decade with his daughter before returning to Defiance.

He is survived by his three children, attorney Margaret (John) Behringer Maloney, orthodontist David (Amy) Behringer, and attorney Douglas (Faith) Behringer, and his six grandchildren.

Jerry had an infectious smile, quick whit, and loved to play practical jokes. He was loyal, generous, kind, and loving. He gave the best hugs and is hugely missed.

The family will receive friends and family on Saturday, September 28, 2024 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at Schaffer Funeral Home South, Lawson/Roessner Chapel (1753 S. Clinton St.). A memorial service will immediately follow the visitation at 1:00pm. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Heartland Hospice, which was a blessing to Jerry and his family in his last days of life.

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