Gerald Richard “Jerry” Fecht, April 8, 1938-January 26, 2017
Those of you who still live in the Burbank area may be interested in attending the service for our beloved Burbank High School teacher, Mr. Gerald R. “Jerry” Fecht, which will take place at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills at the Old North Church, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles, CA, on Saturday, February 11, 2017 at 12:00 PM.
Here is the official obituary: Gerald “Jerry” Fecht was born in Mexico, Missouri, the fifth child of Mildred Crites Fecht and William Thomas Fecht. He was the beloved baby boy in a large Catholic family who came to California in his teens to pursue opportunities for a better life. His Catholic education lead him to Notre Dame High School, through Los Angeles Valley College, and into USC where he earned Bachelors, Masters and PhD degrees. Jerry met the love of his life, Janne Shreves Fecht, while they were studying for their teaching credentials; they were married for 49 years and raised two sons, Brendan and Damon. “Dr. Jerry” enjoyed a long and much heralded career as a professor at Moorpark College, where he guided countless students and helped them achieve their dreams. In retirement, Jerry founded The Museum of the San Fernando Valley, volunteered for AIDS/LifeCycle, enjoyed time with his grandchildren, and explored every inch of Los Angeles, the city he loved so dearly. On January 26, 2017, he lost his long battle with Amyloidois at the age of 78. Jerry is survived by his wife, Janne, his sons, Brendan and Damon, his daughter-in-law, Rebecca, his grandchildren, Jake and Emily, and his brother, Robert. A memorial service will be held on Saturday February 11, 2017, 12PM, Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Old North Church. In lieu of flowers, please donate to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley or the Amyloidosis Foundation.
If you would like to share a memory with the family, you may do so by clicking here. which takes you to the Forest Lawn Memory page.
Hey, you know who else is buried at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills? It was Burbank’s own, actress Debbie Reynolds and her actress/writer daughter, Carrie Fisher. In case you didn’t know, Debbie Reynolds won the Miss Burbank beauty contest when she was a 16-year-old student at Burbank High School. I believe, though, that she graduated from John Burroughs.
Other celebrities who are buried at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills, include Bette Davis, Lucille Ball, Telly Savalas, William Conrad, Buster Keaton, Liberace, Freddie Prinze, Andy Gibb, Jack Webb, Stan Laurel, Ricky Nelson, John Ritter, Gene Autry, Sandra Dee, Lou Rawls, Rod Steiger, David Carradine and Steve Allen.
Mr. Fecht is in good company!
Burbank High Class of 1968 