Dr. Michael E. Hettinger

Dr. Michael E. Hettinger passed away July 21, 2026 after a prolonged battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Mike was born on September 20, 1946 to Elmer “Tim” and Jeanette Hettinger in Memphis, Tennessee. He graduated from East High School, where he was class president and voted “Best All-Around.” He attended the University of Tennessee before transferring to Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College), where he was a member of the SAE fraternity. He was an outstanding basketball player, voted MVP and best offensive player. He held multiple school records for decades. He was selected All College Athletic Conference for his Junior and Senior years, and was inducted into the Rhodes Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010. He earned a master's degree in Clinical Pathology from Memphis State University. Mike then attended the University of Tennessee College of Medicine for medical school and his internship, where he met and married Terry Carmack, the love of his life. They then moved to Birmingham, AL, where he completed his ophthalmology residency and brought their son, Chris, into the world. He then moved to Boston, MA, where he completed his cornea surgery fellowship at Harvard’s Massachusetts Eye and Ear Hospital and welcomed their second son, Michael, Jr.

Fortune brought them to Kansas City in 1981, where he started teaching at the University of Kansas Hospital. Their family was completed with the arrival of their daughter, Rachel. Mike moved his practice to the Kansas City Eye Clinic in 1984, where he restored the sight of thousands of patients before retiring in 2012. He served as the president of the Eye Bank Association of American and the co-medical director of the Midwest Transplant Network. In 2008, he received the Eye Bank Association of America’s highest honor, The R. Townley Patton Award.

After moving to Kansas City, Mike developed a passion for the game of golf. He developed countless, amazing, life-long friendships at Leawood, Milburn, Wolf Creek, Pelican Sound, West Bay, and Hallbrook Country Clubs. Mike could tell jokes for hours on end. Mike was a life-long student of the Bible and member of the Church of the Resurrection.

He is preceded in death by his parents and his cousin, Billy Garner. He leaves behind his wife, Terry; children, Chris (Allison), Michael, Jr., and Rachel (Kyle Nash); and grandchildren, Kate, Jack, Christian, Cooper, and Jordan. He will be greatly missed by his family.

We are indebted to his amazing nurses, therapists, and Dr. Jonathan Jacobs who cared for him.

His funeral service will be at the Church of the Resurrection Leawood’s Wesley Chapel on August 1, 2026 at 3PM, with visitation immediately beforehand starting at 2PM. The service can be viewed by the following livestream link https://resurrection.church/memorialsonline

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Rhodes College, Church of the Resurrection, or any charity of your choice.