Jerry Luepkes

Jerry Luepkes was born in Belvidere, IL on February 3, 1941. He left us on April 29, 2025 in Hammond, LA. He was a resident of Tow, TX, and was a proud Texas transplant.

Jerry loved life, and lived his life to the fullest. He married the love of his life, Judy, in 1973, and they never stopped traveling and going on adventures until his health started to decline a few years ago. He loved his family and friends dearly. If you were his friend, you were his family, and the friends he kept were lifelong friends. Family reunions and family history was a passion of his, and he really enjoyed sharing information with his kids and grandkids and taking them sightseeing every chance he had.

Jerry was a mechanical engineer who spent many years managing beverage plants. Most of those years were spent in Pepsi plants across Texas, Maryland, Virginia, and Louisiana. After Pepsi, he worked for independent bottlers for a few years before forming his own contracting company, Jerryco Technologies, which took him all over the world, and everywhere he went, his wife Judy went along. Even outside of work, he liked to tinker, invent, and “Jerry-rig” projects. He loved gadgets and kept up on the latest technology.

An avid rock collector, Jerry would often take his kids, grandkids, nieces, and nephews out into the wilderness to collect rocks (willing or not). Family joked that whatever vehicle he was driving at the time (he collected those, too) could never pass up a rock shop. He could tell you what every rock in his collection was, when he got it, and where it came from. He was so proud to share his collection with everyone, often having multiple gems at hand as gifts.

Jerry loved working with kids. He competed in diving and trampoline. He coached Judy Ford (Miss America 1969) for trampoline. He also coached little league baseball in New Port Richey, FL and diving in Hallettsville, TX. He was active in the Methodist Churches in Westminster, MD, Wise, VA, and Ponchatoula, LA, often coordinating field trips for the UMYF in Wise.

Jerry was preceded in death by his father, Richard Luepkes, his mother, Margaret Nash, his sons, Landon Luepkes and John Perdziak, Sr, and grandson, Ryder Luepkes.

He leaves behind his loving wife, Judy Brown Luepkes, his children Tracy Rowell, Billy Perdziak (Mary), Shane Luepkes (Jodi), Sherri Luepkes Craig (Jessie), and Claudia Maines (Dave), his grandchildren, Nick, Brittany (Phil), Amber (Jonathan), Whitney (John), Jessica (Ray), Derek, John, Kristopher, Jessie (Kelsey), Caitlin (Gordon), Alex, Michael, Robbie, and Justin. He also leaves behind great grandchildren Chloe, Chase, Pepper, Archer, Juniper, Oscar, Mason, Travis, Landry, Wyatt, Mason, Declan, Skylar, Stella, Savannah, Grace, Maddux, Jenna’D, Iyla, Elliot, and Aiden. In addition to these, there are many brothers in law and sisters in law, nieces, nephews, and extended family and friends who are grieving his loss with us.

Services will be Saturday, May 3, 2025, at Harry McKneely & Son Funeral Home in Hammond, LA. Visitation will begin at 2 pm with services starting at 3:30 pm.