Jerry DeWitt

Jerry L. DeWitt, 70, of Danville, Illinois, passed away on May 30, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of laughter, love, and a surprisingly good seafood boil. He will be laid to rest at St. Mary’s Cemetery, a fittingly peaceful place for a man who never passed up a good catfish fry or a quiet day in the garden — unless someone offered a spontaneous trip to Italy.

Born September 29, 1954, in Danville to Jeremiah and Helen (Drake) DeWitt, Jerry grew up with a sense of curiosity and a sharp wit that stayed with him his entire life. He was an RTR(CT)-certified radiologic technologist, working at Franklin Parish Hospital in Winnsboro, LA, and later at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN, where he brought both professionalism and a well-timed joke to every shift.

On November 29, 1974, Jerry married the love of his life, Kathryn Repasy, in Danville. Together, they built a family and a life full of adventure, flavor, and more themed parties than one might reasonably expect from a healthcare professional.

Jerry is survived by his brothers, Walter and David, his son Michael (Isabel) DeWitt, and his beloved granddaughter, Margot, who already shares his gift for a good punchline. He also leaves behind numerous nieces and nephews who were all on the receiving end of his stories, his cooking, and his endless stream of “new ideas.” He was preceded in death by his parents and his son Jason, who surely welcomed him with open arms and probably a dad joke of his own.

Jerry had a zest for life — and a spice rack to match. He first learned to cook in Louisiana, and he never looked back. Cajun, Chinese, Japanese, Mexican — you name it, he mastered it. His salsa was legendary. His stir-fry had personality. And his fish fries were reason enough for neighbors to conveniently “drop by.”

He loved gardening, fishing, scuba diving, martial arts, and off-roading in his Jeep — at least before moving for work and discovering that watching t-ball and attending every soccer game his kids ever played was the best kind of thrill.

Traveling was one of his great joys, especially to Italy, France, and Scotland, but if you asked him, he’d say the best part of the trip was just being with family. Whether he was dressed as a pirate for Halloween, a cowboy for a barbecue, or someone’s idea of James Bond for a cruise night, Jerry always showed up, fully committed and fully costumed.

He was the kind of man who made weekends exciting, who kept us laughing when things got hard, and who read more books than anyone else in the room — even if he occasionally stumbled over the words. (It just made the stories funnier.)

Jerry was deeply loved, truly one of a kind, and will be missed more than words can say — though he'd probably suggest we try anyway and maybe crack a smile while we're at it.