Jerry Hudson

Jerry Lee Hudson, age 83, of Fort Wayne, passed away on Friday, March 3, 2023. Jerry was born on the family farm near Urbana in Wabash County, Indiana on June 10, 1939. He was a son of Ivan Montgomery and Mildred (Palmer) Hudson. He graduated from Urbana High School in 1957 and immediately enlisted in the United States Army where he served stateside in the First Army Division (The Big Red One) for two years, with an additional two years spent in the Army Reserve. Back home he enrolled at Manchester College to study business, paying his way by working at Honeywell third shift. Around this time, he met Patricia Ann Derrick of Wabash. Pat and Jerry's courtship was brief, they married on December 29, 1962, and the wedding date moved up because of the possibility Jerry might be called up to serve in the Cuban Missile Crisis. Pat and Jerry's first apartment was above the Hoover-Miner Funeral Home, where Jerry worked part-time. Their son Michael was born a year later, and their daughter Jennifer was born three years after that.

After graduating from college, Jerry started out as a corporate accountant, working first for Central Soya in Marion, Ohio, and later relocating permanently to Fort Wayne, Indiana. From time to time, he worked for several small manufacturing companies, learning the skills he would need later as a business owner. His last corporate job was as a Trust Officer for Fort Wayne National Bank. Although finance was his area of expertise, manufacturing is where his true interests were. In 1981, he quit his job at the bank, and with business partner Dave Hensler, started Hydra-Tech, Inc., a maker of aerial devices ("cherry-pickers") for the electric utility, construction contractor, and tree care industries. The business was a success, despite the considerable competition, and LIFT-ALL aerials and digger derricks were in service with some of the largest utility companies and tree care services in the country, as well as in service throughout the world. Jerry sold the company in 2008 and enjoyed a long retirement, traveling the world with his wife Pat. He was a member of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne and a frequent visitor to the Wells County Conservation Club, where he drove his wife so she could shoot trap. Jerry was an avid car aficionado. From his first Triumph TR-3 roadster in college, he liked working on them as much as he enjoyed driving them. The many makes and models he owned and restored included Jaguar (Mark IX, XK-150, E-Type, XJ6, etc.), Mercedes Benz, BMW, Mazda, Lexus, Toyota, Datsun, Honda, Jeep, Opel GT, and a Sunbeam Alpine.

Jerry is survived by his wife of sixty years, Pat; children, Michael (Meredith) Hudson, and Jennifer (Garrick) Cook; grandchildren, Schuyler, Sherman, and Beatrice Cook; and sister, Judy Rice. In addition to his parents, Jerry was preceded in death by two brothers, James (Jim) and Joseph (Joe).

A funeral service for Jerry will be held on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 1105 South Calhoun, Fort Wayne, with visitation one hour prior. Commital services will occur at Greenlawn Memorial Park immediately following the funeral services. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Jerry's memory can be made to the American Cancer Society of Fort Wayne or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.greenlawnmpfh.com for the Hudson family.