Jerry Hudson was a fellow grade school classmate, who was such a bright kid. He became adept at transforming the worst, drearily mundane or, less often--but much more often for me personally, stuck in a rut playing my own 'role' as a quiet, 'good' student, much later on to become finally, a fairly liberated Gay Guy at long last--terrifying
Jerry never knew this about me, my being totally dyslexic about what I am now admitting but he often, using his humor, rescued me from my own depths of grade school shyness, and various anxieties, with his steady stream of jokes, and adept pokings of fun. Among several other wanna-be class clowns, he was the funniest of all. He was like a Hero in my view, saving me from my low spots--a combination of Jerry Lewis and Milton Berle, able comedians of the 1950's.
Jerry was the Joan Rivers of his day.
You were that great. I love you for being there then, helping me and our other classmates survive our years at Hatch Grade School in Oak Park, Illinois.
In high school, Jerry Hudson and I were part of a group that called itself The South Oak Park Council of Christians and Jews +2. It was a kind of un-clique of very different people who just enjoyed each other’s company. Jerry also was in my freshman biology class and my senior English class. While I can’t recall anything about Jerry in biology, English is a different story. I vividly remember him reading a poem in his strong, deep voice that began “Massachusetts, Massachusetts, God is with thee evermore.” Later, he swore he didn’t do this, I could understand why.
Almost 20 years after graduation, I found Jerry on the radio in Houston. I was stuck in traffic and idly going up and down the dial when I heard a voice, THE voice, reading the news on KODA, Sunny 99.1. I called the station and sure enough the news director was Jerry Hudson, THE Jerry Hudson. We got together a few times and we talked, or, rather he talked, mostly about high school friends (we agreed) and politics (not even close).
When I joined the faculty at Texas A&M University, my commute took me out of the range of Sunny 99.1. I think by then, Jerry had moved out of Houston. With some intense googling, I found that he stayed in radio and in politics. His last gig seems to be at KFAB radio in Omaha where he had a talk show, apparently of the Rush Limbaugh variety. He retired to Phoenix. His obituary wasn’t online; so I don’ know when he died. I only hope he lived long enough to see the election. It would have made him very VERY happy.
Alexander Marshall
One of the good guys. I remember him fondly. RIP Jerry.
H Stephen Dahlquist
I remember him as a friendly and funny guy who I believe was the Manager of our JV basketball team. RIP, Jerry!
Andrew Eglitis
We were classmates at Hatch elementary. Truly a great and very funny guy
Philip Mathews
Jerry Hudson was a fellow grade school classmate, who was such a bright kid. He became adept at transforming the worst, drearily mundane or, less often--but much more often for me personally, stuck in a rut playing my own 'role' as a quiet, 'good' student, much later on to become finally, a fairly liberated Gay Guy at long last--terrifying
Jerry never knew this about me, my being totally dyslexic about what I am now admitting but he often, using his humor, rescued me from my own depths of grade school shyness, and various anxieties, with his steady stream of jokes, and adept pokings of fun. Among several other wanna-be class clowns, he was the funniest of all. He was like a Hero in my view, saving me from my low spots--a combination of Jerry Lewis and Milton Berle, able comedians of the 1950's.
Jerry was the Joan Rivers of his day.
You were that great. I love you for being there then, helping me and our other classmates survive our years at Hatch Grade School in Oak Park, Illinois.
Thanks to You, and RIP, Jerry.
Lynne Masel (Walters)
In high school, Jerry Hudson and I were part of a group that called itself The South Oak Park Council of Christians and Jews +2. It was a kind of un-clique of very different people who just enjoyed each other’s company. Jerry also was in my freshman biology class and my senior English class. While I can’t recall anything about Jerry in biology, English is a different story. I vividly remember him reading a poem in his strong, deep voice that began “Massachusetts, Massachusetts, God is with thee evermore.” Later, he swore he didn’t do this, I could understand why.
Almost 20 years after graduation, I found Jerry on the radio in Houston. I was stuck in traffic and idly going up and down the dial when I heard a voice, THE voice, reading the news on KODA, Sunny 99.1. I called the station and sure enough the news director was Jerry Hudson, THE Jerry Hudson. We got together a few times and we talked, or, rather he talked, mostly about high school friends (we agreed) and politics (not even close).
When I joined the faculty at Texas A&M University, my commute took me out of the range of Sunny 99.1. I think by then, Jerry had moved out of Houston. With some intense googling, I found that he stayed in radio and in politics. His last gig seems to be at KFAB radio in Omaha where he had a talk show, apparently of the Rush Limbaugh variety. He retired to Phoenix. His obituary wasn’t online; so I don’ know when he died. I only hope he lived long enough to see the election. It would have made him very VERY happy.
John Bristol
From John Bristol
Jerome (Jerry) Hudson was a classmate of mine at William Hatch
Elementary School as well as Oak Park High. He was also a neighbor
(he lived in the 900 block of Fair Oaks Avenue and my home was
on the 1100 block of North Elmwood Avenue). He had an outgoing
personality and a sense of humor that wouldn't quit. In eighth grade he
had the lead role in a class play titled "The Hole in the Wall." He played
a king and gave an excellent performance.
Jerry liked to play jokes on people and he pulled one off on me.
He went for a bike ride one Saturday morning and came down
Elmwood Avenue when I was mowing the lawn in front of our house.
I shut down the mower and walked to the curb as Jerry stopped
and dismounted. "Hi Jerry!"
"I don't feel so good," Jerry replied. "I feel just awful." Whereupon he
let out a loud moan, leaned over the hood of my father's new car
parked in front of our house and appeared to vomit on the car.
I say "appeared" to vomit because what ended up on the hood
of the car was not human regurgitation but a rubberized replica
that sure looked like puke. It completely fooled me!
"Good grief! You puked on my Dad's new car! We've got to
clean it up quick."
At this point Jerry started laughing until he was literally bent
over. When he showed me the nature of what he had deposited
on the car and picked it up, I laughed too.
Thanks, Jerry, for the fun you brought us. You are missed.
John S. Bristol