Jerry G. Hettenhausen

Jerry was born on July 4, 1959, in Belleville, IL, to Walter A. and Virginia (Fohne) Hettenhausen. He was preceded in death by his parents, as well as his brother, Craig Hettenhausen, and sister, Becky Hettenhausen.

Jerry is survived by his sons, Zachary (Kelsey) Hettenhausen and Jake (Casey) Hettenhausen, both of Belleville, IL; his grandchildren, Jordan, Chloe, and Quentin; his siblings, Nancy (Marty) Heires, Michael Hettenhausen, and Debbie Albrecht; nieces and nephews, Rachael, Becky, Angela, Julie, Joel, and Erin; and cousins, Bonnie and Dennis Hettenhausen.

Jerry worked for many decades at Peerless-Premier Appliance Co. and spent even more years maintaining lawns and yards for others—work he took pride in and rarely turned down.

Jerry was a deeply caring and generous person who loved hard, especially when it came to his sons. He could often be found sitting in a lawn chair or on the tailgate of his truck, basking in the sun with his shirt off and usually covered in grass clippings. He loved attending and supporting his sons and family at sporting events, especially Khoury League baseball games.

Jerry was well known for his love of stock cars and demolition derbies—so much so that he owned and raced them himself. He also had a lifelong obsession with the Looney Tunes character TAZ, which he proudly had tattooed. You could always spot Jerry in a crowd by his mohawk or mustache, his unmistakably loud voice, or the random barking that might suddenly break out—just Jerry being Jerry.

A graveside service for Jerry will be held on Friday, February 20, 2026, at 1:00 P.M. Valhalla Gardens of Memory in Belleville, IL. A Celebration of Life will follow at 2pm at Cured and Cultured in Belleville, IL. All are welcome to attend and are encouraged to wear their favorite red, white, and blue attire in honor of Jerry’s love for the Fourth of July—his favorite holiday and birthday.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Belleville Animal Humane Society (BAHS) in Jerry's honor.