Dr. Jeri Drum Babinsky, 76, of Westborough, MA passed away Monday, March 16, 2026 at her residence in Burlington, NJ, following a brave battle with Alzheimer's disease.

Jeri grew up in Billings in a family rooted in the Montana life. There were visits to friends' ranches for horse riding, train rides shepherding her two little brothers to visit a beloved grandmother in Miles City, and outdoor adventures at Red Lodge, the Beartooth Mountains, and Yellowstone Park. Jeri left Montana for Harvard's Radcliffe College in 1967 and made her home on the East Coast for the rest of her life - first as a student in Cambridge, then settling in the Westborough area, where she built her career, her family, and a widespread community.

After graduating from Harvard in 1971, with a degree in Social Relations, Jeri earned a Master of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School in 1974. That same year she was ordained in her Billings family church as a United Church of Christ minister, joining a small but growing national vanguard of women entering ordained ministry. In 1976, Jeri completed a Doctor of Ministry in Psychology and Clinical Studies program at Andover Newton, and was licensed as a psychologist in Massachusetts in 1982.

The trajectory of Jeri's career and impact was driven by her conviction that the mind, body, and spirit are deeply connected. Her life's work was to help others care for their whole selves. In her early career, from 1975 to 1979, Jeri served as Pastor of Woodville Baptist Church in Hopkinton, MA. From 1980 to 1984, she was the Director of Pastoral Care and Clinical Pastoral Education Supervisor at Westborough State Hospital. In the mid-1980s, Jeri opened a private clinical psychology practice that she maintained for more than 30 years. Alongside her practice, Jeri served for decades as adjunct faculty at Andover Newton Theological School, including co-founding the Faith, Health and Spirituality Program in collaboration with the Mind/Body Medical Institute at Harvard Medical School.

Jeri's effect on people was lasting - and intentional. She was fully dedicated as a mother: she was her children's biggest champion, advocate, and protector. With her friends and family, Jeri naturally created safe places filled with positivity and warmth that let others be themselves. She treasured trips to Montana to see her family, walks along the coast with friends, holiday breakfasts with her children, and reunions with her Harvard classmates. Jeri had the uncanny knack for initiating meaningful conversations that could easily last for hours. These moments, reinforced over the years, built incredibly strong bonds that still endure among her family, the friends she brought together, and the communities she led.

Daughter of the late David Drum - a Montana state legislator and entrepreneur who co-founded Kampgrounds of America (KOA) - and Dorothy Drum, Jeri was predeceased by her brother, Dan Drum. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Erin Babinsky and Nicholas Wahle; her son and daughter-in-law, Nicholas and Emily Babinsky; her grandchildren, Luke, Connor, Matthew, and Jay; her brother, David Drum, his partner Stephanie Hochman, and their son Benjamin; her "East Coast" cousins David, Ken, and John Drum, and their families; and the widespread members of the Drum, Blair, Gates, and Boorman families.

Jeri's loving and compassionate spirit will live forever in our hearts.

A memorial service will be held at The Congregational Church of Westborough on Friday June 19th at 11am. All are welcome.

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