Thaddeus John Huetteman

Thaddeus John Huetteman, 70, of Arlington, VA, passed away from a rare form of cancer at his home on May 18, 2026, surrounded by his loved ones. Thad’s spirit left a lasting mark on all who knew him, as he always saw them and treasured their uniqueness; his loss has left an irreparable hole in the hearts of all who loved him, especially his beloved wife of 44 years, Susan, and his two adored daughters, Emmarie and Justine.

Born in Bethesda, Maryland and raised in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, Thad was the eldest of the five children of the late Ray and Jude Huetteman. The family later settled in Ann Arbor, Michigan. As they grew up, Thad enjoyed a close relationship with his siblings despite living in different cities.

At a young age, Thad took a keen interest in making the world a better place, particularly when it came to the environment. In high school, he participated in the Youth Conservation Corps in the woods of northern Michigan. He graduated from Kalamazoo College with a degree in political science and economics and spent a year studying abroad at the London School of Economics. It was there that Thad found a devotion to becoming a “citizen of the world” (as well as the LSE scarf of purple, yellow, black, worn with pride every winter for 50 years). Graduate school took him to Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and from there he began his professional life centered around public service, with stints at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at the start of his career and the U.S. Department of Energy (Energy Information Administration) to finish it, with two decades in between spent at his own private consultancy, advising clients on compliance with environmental regulations and setting up environmental markets. Upon his 2025 retirement from the U.S. Department of Energy, Thad received “The Secretary’s Meritorious Service Award”.

Above all, Thad cherished his family. Thad and Susan met and made a home in Washington, DC for several years, then a job relocated them to Atlanta, GA for two decades where they raised their daughters, and when Emmarie and Justine followed their dreams to DC, Thad and Susan happily returned home to the area, reuniting with many beloved friends. Thad was a dedicated, kind, present, and fun husband and father, always up for a family board game, a bike ride, or a bowl of cereal or ice cream to finish the day.

Coupled with Thad’s commitment to public service and his devotion to being a “citizen of the world,” his very deep faith guided him to volunteer work, the highlight of which was many years spent helping at the Central Presbyterian Men’s Night Shelter in Atlanta, GA, with students from his daughters’ high school. He became a champion of the homeless and never failed to empty his pockets when he met someone in need. He was truly troubled when the homeless numbers outpaced his ability to give.

In addition, his volunteer work extended to his daughters’ extracurricular activities, where he dedicated time building sets (DIY-challenged but always enthusiastic) for school musicals and helping to hoist cheerleading banners at Friday night football games.

When Thad liked something, you knew it: vacationing in the family’s happiest place of Seaside, FL, outer space movies (2001: A Space Odyssey was his favorite), the one-hit wonder “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” The Beatles, Sir Winston Churchill, the classics and history, poetry (especially “The Windhover” by Gerard Manley Hopkins), and sports, particularly baseball, which gave him peace during trying times, and most of all, the University of Michigan football and basketball teams (which rarely gave him peace, but two national championships in the last few years made it all worth it!). One of his last enduring memories was attending Michigan’s Final Four game in Indianapolis in April with Justine, his brother Mark, and his niece Annie, as a co-founding member of the “Go Blue Brothers.”

Thad is survived by his wife, Susan, his daughters Emmarie (Chris Trepky) and Justine (Louis Wolff), his siblings, Beth Widmayer (Warren), Sue Lee, Mark Huetteman (Wendy), and Julie Bordo (Tony), his brothers-in-law Steve Iacuone (Becky), Rob Iacuone, and loads of nieces and nephews who have countless wonderful memories of their Uncle Thad. He was loved very much by his late father-in-law and mother-in-law, Aldo and Rita Iacuone of Syracuse, New York.

In lieu of flowers please consider donating to Goodwin Living Foundation, the hospice organization that was so comforting to Thad and his family, at the link below.