Gerald “Jerry” E. Centoni, 92, of Streator passed away peacefully Sunday, January 18, 2026 at the ARC of Streator.

  Visitation will be held from 8:00am – 10:30am Thursday, January 22, 2026 at Solon-Telford Funeral Home in Streator followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Michael the Archangel Church at 11:00am. Burial will be in St. Anthony’s Cemetery in Streator.

  Pallbearers will be Matthew Urbance, Brandon Urbance, Mike Lollo, Ben Lollo, Cooper Centoni, Maddox Centoni, Dustin Zavada and Cyprian Zavada.  Honorary pallbearers will be Jesse Rodriguez, Keith Diedrick, John Murphy, Tom Urbance and Don Drysdale.  Full military rites will be accorded by members of the Leslie G. Woods American Legion Post 217, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1492 and the Long Point American Legion Post 1217.   

  Jerry was born on July 2, 1933 in Chicago, Illinois to Gino and Pia (Mazzoni) Centoni.  He married Joyce Witry on June 27, 1959 at St. Francis de Sales Church in Lake Zurich, Illinois. 

  He is survived by his daughters, Julie (Ben) Lollo of Allen Park, Michigan, Jan Urbance of Streator, Jill (Dustin) Zavada of Bettendorf, Iowa; a son, John (Dana) Centoni of Dunlap; grandchildren, Mike, Dani, Brandon, Matt, Sutton, Cooper, Maddox, Zaynie, Cyprian and Sebastian.  He was also blessed with three great-grandchildren; Brynley, Oaklee and Collins.  Finally, Jerry could always count on his best friend, Jesse Rodriguez, to be by his side until the very end.

  He was preceded in death by his wife Joyce; his parents; a sister, Laverne Schwarz and a brother-in-law, Lewis Schwarz.

  Born in Chicago, Jerry was raised in Lake Zurich, Illinois.  He attended local grade schools and graduated from Ela Township High School, Class of 1951.  Jerry served in the United States Army.  He was stationed in Germany and served during the Korean Conflict.

  Jerry spent all of his life working in the automotive business.  He began his career as a salesman at the age of 19 at Poole Ford in Arlington Heights, Illinois.  He purchased Baker Ford in Streator, which he renamed Star Ford, and owned for 50 years.

  Jerry loved meeting new people and could talk to anyone.  He never strayed away from helping people that were in need and organizations that were important to him.  If there was a fundraiser, he would often sell tip boards to raise money for the families or the cause at hand.  Jerry was kind, loyal and incredibly generous.  He cherished his friendships, was compassionate towards strangers and cared deeply about the well-being of his employees.  Jerry was a Godly man and his strong faith was carried with him through his lifetime.  Family, however, was what meant the most to him.  He never missed a birthday or special occasion and he was the biggest fan in the stands at all of his grandkids’ sporting events until the end.  He will be dearly missed by his family and friends.

  The family would like to thank all the people at Hollybrook and the ARC who helped take care of our dad in every possible way.  We can’t thank you all enough for your kindness.

  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Jerry’s honor may be directed to Building Our Future Capital Campaign through St. Michael the Archangel Church in Streator, IL which supports construction on the new Catholic Church.   

        Condolences may be left for the family at www.solontelford.com