Jerome Sadler, a stylish figure, dies at 72

JEROME SADLER was a recognizable figure on the streets of West Philadelphia with his cowboy boots, Western hat and fancy belt buckle.

"It was a look he was able to pull off with class and style," said his daughter, Linda Sadler.

How Jerome came to adopt a Western getup was a mystery. He had no particular connection with the West. Apparently he just liked the style, and he certainly attracted attention on urban streets far from any cattle ranch.

Jerome Sadler, who ran the print shop for the University City Science Center for more than 30 years, a charismatic man who was instantly likable, died April 10 of liver cancer. He was 72 and lived in West Philadelphia.

"Everybody who met him loved him," his daughter said. "He didn't have many close friends, but the ones he had, he had for years."

One time, as he walked along the street with his daughter, a group of teens came up and Linda worried that they were up to no good.

But then one of them smiled and said, "Man, you're sharp!"

Now, Linda has the task of figuring out what to do with two dozen pairs of boots, two dozen hats and about 75 buckles from her father's collection.

She also must decide what to do with Jerome's enormous collection of music CDs and old movies. He was a music fan with eclectic tastes that ranged from opera to jazz to popular songs, including Johnny Cash, Etta James and Ray Charles. But no rap or hard-rock.

He was also a big fan of old movies, especially the classic horror films like "Frankenstein," "Dracula" and "The Wolf Man." He and his daughter would watch them together, and he also got a kick out of making up spooky stories.

"A lot of times I had trouble getting to sleep at night," she said.

Jerome was a man of such strict routine that once, when he didn't arrive home at his customary 5:30 p.m., Linda panicked.

"I called 9-1-1, I was so worried," she said. "But it turned out he had just stopped at the store."

Jerome was a homebody to the extreme. Even though he loved movies and the opera, he wouldn't go out to see them on the screen or stage.

"I once managed to get him out to see 'The Lion King,' " Linda said. "He loved it."

Jerome was born in Philadelphia to Adele and George Sadler. He attended West Philadelphia High School.

His father ran a gas station at 40th and Market streets, and Jerome sold newspapers from a stand in front of it. Daily papers were 3 cents in those days.

After school, he got a job as a short-order cook at the American Diner, at 47th Street and Girard Avenue.

He then became a technical-records clerk for the University of Pennsylvania, and from there he moved to the Science Center print shop. He learned the trade on the job, and rose to run the shop.

Jerome was divorced early, and raised his daughter by himself. "He was a good dad," Linda said.

One day, while he was in a hospice, Linda was spending time with him and he wasn't saying anything - until an attractive nurse came in. He lit up and told her, "You're pretty."

Jerome asked his daughter to bring him some music in the hospice, including Sarah Brightman singing "Time To Say Goodbye":

I'll go with you

on ships across seas

which I know exist no longer,

to countries I never saw,

now, yes, I will experience them.

It's time to say goodbye.

Jerome donated his body to medical science in the hope that it would contribute to cancer research. At his request, there will be no memorial service.

Contributions may be made to Vitas Hospice Charitable Fund, 1740 Walton Road, Suite 100, Blue Bell, PA 19422.