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Gerald Wayne Hautala

Gerald Wayne Hautala, age 72, of Hudson, WI, formerly of Crystal Falls, MI, passed away surrounded by loved ones at Christian Community Home of Hudson, WI. Jerry was born to parents John & Viola Hautala in Amasa, MI, where he spent his youth & graduated high school. For a short time, he attended Northern Michigan University in Marquette, MI before moving on to work as a youth girls basketball coach at schools in both Michigan & Wisconsin. It was his dedication & love of coaching that eventually led him to the love of his life, Jeanne. Jerry was Jeanne’s daughter’s coach, & the two hit it off. They were a couple by the end of the basketball season, & went to Las Vegas to get married on December 2nd, 2000. They had five children between the two of them, & even more grandchildren. Jerry loved spending time with his grandkids & watching them grow up. When Jerry wasn’t spending time with his family, he could be found deer hunting in the U.P, or spending the spring at his happy place in Cocoa Beach, Florida with Jeanne. He was active with the Hudson Daybreak Rotary Club, & Jerry donated much of his time towards helping the community through rotary-sponsored service projects. On Sundays, you could find Jerry in front of the TV cheering on his favorite team, the Detroit Lions.

Jerry was a strong, tenacious & kind-hearted man who never let his deteriorating health take over his love for life. The impact he had on the lives of the girls he coached over his career will resonate into the future, & his memory & influence will continue to touch the lives of those girls & their families for years to come.

Jerry will remain in the hearts of his beloved wife, Jeanne; his children, Kim (Leno) St. Juliana, Julie (Jer) Nylund, Teresa (Bill) Gribble, Jeremy (Lindsay) Dumond, & Jess Vadnais; his grandchildren, Leno Jr, Devin, Ella, Kelsie, Austin, Iris, Brice, Jack, Julia, & Isla; his brother, Dan (Jean) Hautala; as well as many nieces, nephews, extended family, friends, & female athletes across the Midwest. He was preceded in death by his parents, John & Viola.

A Memorial Service for Jerry will be held 12:00 PM, Saturday, October 26th, at St. Patrick Church, 1500 Vine St, Hudson, WI, 54016. A Visitation will take place preceding the service at the church from 10:00-12:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations honoring Jerry’s memory are preferred to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, 415 Crossways Park Dr, Suite D, Woodbury, NY 11797.

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