Merle Andrew Hettler

Merle Andrew Hettler, 88, passed away Sunday, December 20, 2020 at Majestic Care in Fort Wayne, IN. He was born April 28, 1932 in Whiteford Center, Michigan, the son of William Lavern Hettler and Annabelle Marie Holmes.

Merle was a 1950 graduate of South Side High School where he excelled in Athletics. He was a member of the 1946 Fort Wayne Junior American Legion State Championship Baseball team, and was an All-City selection in Football and Basketball. As a Senior, he qualified for the state track meet in the long jump. He was inducted into the SSHS Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.

After graduation he earned his college degree from Ball State University. He played Basketball and participated in Track while in college. After a brief period of teaching high school, he owned a series of taverns in the Fort Wayne area. He then spent the majority of his career working at AAlco Distributing as a salesman. Upon leaving that profession he began tending bar in many taverns around Fort Wayne, where he made hundreds of friends. He loved to watch sports, especially the Cubs, Bears, IU and Notre Dame games. He spent his retirement years hanging out with family and his friends at the Arena.

He is survived by 4 children: William James of Wawaka, David (Sara) of Bear Lake, Michael (Lavonne) of Wolf Lake, Cindy (Jeff) Dawson of Fort Wayne; and 1 step-son, Bob (Mandy) Andrews, of Decatur; a sister, Edith Louise Marsh of Sarasota Florida; and a brother, Wilmer James of Goshen; also, ten grandchildren; and many great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his first wife, Susanne E. Beery Pedigo, of Berne.

Merle was preceded in death by his parents; his second wife, Maxine Wyatt; his third wife, Barbara Lanning; a daughter, Janet Friend; and step-daughter, Karla Duckworth.

Visitation will be Tuesday, December 29, 2020, from 3:00pm to 7:00pm at D.O. McComb and Sons Pine Valley Funeral Home (1320 East Dupont Road, Fort Wayne). The funeral service will be Facebook Live Streamed on the funeral home's Facebook Page at 11:00 am Wednesday, December 30, 2020. Burial in Greenlawn Memorial Park.

Please visit this link in order to view our Facebook livestream services: https://www.facebook.com/DOMcCombPineValley