Obituary of Rudolph Hettis, Jr.

Rudy Hettis was born on November 8, 1951 in Rochester NY to Dorita and Rudolph Hettis. He grew up on Jefferson Rd where his family had a small farm. Rudy was a country boy with a love of Ford trucks and John Deere tractors. He is survived by his daughter, Lindsey (Chad) Miller; son, Adam Hettis, sister Marianne Verzillo and brother Mark Hettis; the mother of his children, Joan Gracie.  He adored his two grandchildren Samantha and Henry, they called him “Poppy.” His brother Mark was always by his side for years and years.

Rudy loved a good joke and if you had ever met him, you would remember him. Always the life of the party with a cigar in one hand and a Genny Light in the other. In his younger years he lived in Rush, NY and worked for Georgia Pacific as a tractor trailer driver. In 1984 he bought a small building in Mount Morris, NY and fulfilled his dream of becoming a business owner, opening and operating Ace Hardware. He maintained the hardware store about twenty years. He took pride in doing well for himself and being a “survivor.” He had a knack for business sense and often told people, “ya gotta spend money to make money.”

He had a love of animals-most times if you saw Rudy driving around he had a dog with him.

His biggest passion in life was his 1951 Ford pick-up truck which he restored with the help of friends by his side. The last vehicle he drove before he passed was his antique truck. He loved being surrounded by friends and having a good ole time. He was known for his witty comebacks and one-liners. When you were with Rudy, you never quite knew what was going to come out of his mouth!

It was cancer that ended up taking his life. He passed away June 23, 2020, the last days of his life were spent with his family and close friends by his side.  He never gave up fighting all the way to the end. Several nurses commented on how incredibly strong he was to be so full of cancer-yet still able to walk and talk. Rudy Hettis was certainly one of a kind and will be missed.

At Rudy’s request there will be no services but a celebration of his life will follow later in the summer.  In lieu of flowers- a donation can be made in his name to a charity of your choice, as he was always very generous in the giving of his own gifts to charity while he was alive.