Monday, December 27, 2021

Sun Sets on Jack Sunn

 The original Jack Sunn, Bill Hetrick, passed away. His obituary is posted below. 

William Thomas “Bill” Hetrick, 59, died Thursday, December 23, 2021. Visitation and vigil service will be Wednesday, December 29, 5:00-7:00 p.m., at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, 1152 Lakeland Drive in Jackson. Funeral Mass for family and parishioners at Holy Savior Catholic Church, Clinton, will be at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, December 30, with limited visitation one hour before. Interment will follow at Clinton Cemetery. Bill requested that face masks be worn at all services to protect the health of his many dearly loved friends and family.

Fueled by love, compassion and a strong sense of responsibility, Bill had a relentless drive for service. His most used phrase was, “Do you need anything?” In the 1980s, he was a newspaper advice columnist named Jack Sunn who answered readers’ questions and helped solve their problems. This mission continued when he became Action Line Director for the City of Jackson before moving to a staff position for Mayor Kane Ditto. He became a real estate professional with Century 21 David Stevens and then RE/MAX Alliance, before he and wife, Marilyn, opened their own brokerage, Hetrick Real Estate.  

In 2015, Bill and Marilyn were recognized as Clinton’s Outstanding Citizens of the Year as well as Olde Towne Business of the Year.

Bill humbly viewed others as his mentors even as he mentored still others. He rarely met a person who didn’t become his friend. He was the only adult invited to 5-year-old birthday parties, confidant of 12-year-olds riding their bikes past his open office door on the brick streets of Ole Towne, and trusted advisor to seniors contemplating end of life issues.  

A natural leader, he transformed organizations by pulling together talented people and empowering them to achieve excellence. This innate ability became evident early at Murrah High School where he was student body president, ROTC Battalion Commander, a delegate in the U.S. Senate Youth Program and an Eagle Scout. At Millsaps College, he was Vice President of the Alpha Iota Chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha, a popular Resident Assistant at Galloway Hall and the only person to have been voted “Greek God” two years in a row. Some of the organizations benefiting from his unique style included the Clinton Chamber of Commerce, Cascades Homeowners Association and Hinds County Economic Development Authority Board.

Bill’s bigger-than-life persona extended to the sports world. His first dream job was Visiting Club House Manager for the AA Texas League Jackson Mets, from which he was promoted to Assistant General Manager, leading to a lifetime of friendships with players, managers, newscasters, and fans. His next dream job was writing and editing for the Clarion Ledger Sports Department.  

Bill was part of the roundtable which conceived the idea of a Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Museum, serving for two years as the Museum’s first Board President when ground was broken and construction began, remaining on the board ever since. He was a voting member of the Hall of Fame selection committee and one of the museum’s most active volunteers, awarded Wendy’s High School Heisman for his role in establishing the High School Hall of Fame at the museum.

He bled Miami Dolphin aqua and orange. In his decades-long passion for fantasy sports, he founded the Tarp Baseball League, served as Commissioner of the Chalupa Football League where he was reigning champ and sometimes played on as many as four leagues simultaneously.  

Bill’s love for curating and collecting sports memorabilia made him a legendary icon on Twitter and Uni Watch and the envy of men whose wives limited their collections.

Bill’s strong Catholic faith centered and guided him. He was a member of Holy Savior Catholic Church in Clinton and a 4th degree member of the Knights of Columbus where he previously served as Grand Knight of the local chapter and District Director.

For all his many interests, his first priority was family. He is survived by wife Marilyn; daughters Elizabeth Ronie (Joey) and Sara Miller; sister Lucy Hetrick (Dos); stepmother Buddie Louise Hetrick; aunts Linda Jennings and Sandra Thomas; in-laws, Mike and Kay Stewart, Kathy Mashburn, Carol and John Robertson, Craig and Heather Harrell, Bobby and Kay Harrell; much loved cousins, nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and -nephews; and a large group of life-long friends and fraternity brothers.

Bill is predeceased by his parents, Byron Thomas and Sue Anne Hetrick; grandparents Byron Sterret and Katherine Hetrick, William Leslie and Betty Lee Traylor, Woodrow “Buddie” and Dorothy Perkins; and, uncle Hiram Jennings.

In lieu of flowers, donations are encouraged to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Museum, the Negro League Baseball Museum, and the Holy Savior Catholic Church Building Fund. 

34 comments:

Anonymous said...

How awful for the Jackson sports community. Super dude.

Anonymous said...

I wish I had a picture of his memorabilia cave in his basement. Unbelievable. I bet he's got 5,000 autographs on helmets, baseballs and cards.

Anonymous said...

Rest in Peace brother. CS's will miss you.

Anonymous said...

If you want to hear his voice one more time, here is a great interview of Bill, including a discussion of his memorabilia collection and some tidbits about the Jackson Mets. https://hallofverygood.libsyn.com/episode-276-bill-hetrick

Bill will be missed by many.

Anonymous said...

He will always be Santa Clause to me.

Anonymous said...

Didn’t Jack Sunn where a paper bag on his head when answering letters? I bet he got some doozies.

Anonymous said...

Bill was one of those Jacksonians who exemplified all that can be good about Mississippians. However, some research will reveal that Maurice Thompson wrote the Jack Sunn column at least as early as the late 1960s.

Anonymous said...

Marshall Ramsey nailed it today with his Bill Hetrick cartoon. Beautiful.

Anonymous said...

Ramsey has become so bitter.

Anonymous said...

Bill was really a great man.

Anonymous said...

Jack Sunn became popular when Bill revived it with his wittiness and cynicisms. Back when we truly had a local paper. Would love to see some old letters to Jack Sunn from the 80s.

Anonymous said...

Marshall Ramsey has a way of drawing the right thing at the right time.

Anonymous said...

11:27, huh? That's pretty petty unless its a typo.

Anonymous said...

St. Paddys parade marshal, Santa Clause, Jack Sunn, Jackson Mets, Sports Hall of Fame. Dude made the most of life.

Anonymous said...

Sports Hall of Fame isn't big enough for the crowd, but its a fitting place for the visitation.

Anonymous said...

I will miss my friend. Gone way to early. Marshall did a great job.

Anonymous said...

Bill and Marilyn are good friends Mississippi and especially Clinton lost a wonderful man, who will be missed so much. Prayers for Marilyn and the family.

Anonymous said...

59? Is that a typo? Between the Commercial Appeal and the Jackson Daily News, Lord at the good ones! When that profession was honorable and highly admired.

Anonymous said...

RIP, Mississippi’s loss.

GM said...

" 59? Is that a typo? "

My first thought that as well 2:26.

"Jack Sunn" must have been a pseudonym for many writers over the years at the Clarion Ledger and their afternoon edition known as The Jackson Daily News.

I remember the "Jack Sunn" columns from back in the 1960's.

Anonymous said...

" 59? Is that a typo? "

My first thought that as well 2:26.

"Jack Sunn" must have been a pseudonym for many writers over the years at the Clarion Ledger and their afternoon edition known as The Jackson Daily News.

I remember the "Jack Sunn" columns from back in the 1960's.

Anonymous said...

Will miss you friend.

Anonymous said...

There was no bigger Miami Dolphin fan outside of Florida.

JavaDoc said...

I life well lived, generous, wise and tolerant. Few people can leave this life leaving such a legacy but Bill certainly did. I was fortunate to call him a Brother and he will be missed.

JavaDoc said...

A life well lived, generous, wise and tolerant. Few people can leave this life leaving such a legacy but Bill certainly did. I was fortunate to call him a Brother and he will be missed.

Anonymous said...

The sports hall of fame likely would not exist except for the efforts of Bill.

Anonymous said...

Go Fins. Guarantee you Bill is watching tonight.

Anonymous said...

59 - 41 = 18. Was Bill only 18 years old when he wrote "Jack Sunn."

WINNTINN said...

I wish someone would take over his Legacy and write a weekly column called "ASK JACK SUNN?"
Perhaps our Clarion-Ledger or the North Side Sun would print it. It is a shame we no longer have daily opinion editorials or interesting syndicated columnists in our newspaper. Truthfully I get the newspaper for 3 reasons.
First: We have had the same carrier for a very long time, if she is willing to get up at 4 am and work to deliver my paper I am willing to keep my subscription, I feel my subscription helps her job security.
SECOND: I really prefer to read the paper in print and not online. I feel we are slaves to our computers and reading in print is much more relaxing with a cup of coffee.
THIRD: My dog likes to fetch the paper at the end of the driveway.
I used to get a morning and evening paper. I am not really sure how there used to be enough news to print enough news for a morning and an evening paper and now it seems they can only find is only enough new to print a daily Fishwrap!

Anonymous said...

He has the sexy leg lamp from Christmas Story in the front window of his real estate office among many other things. How many businesses could pull that off?

Anonymous said...

I worked with Bill for a year or two at the City of Jackson. Bill once described how he was able to get former President Nixon to autograph a baseball. Bill sent a written request with a baseball to Mr. Nixon. He shortly thereafter received a response from Mr. Nixon’s personal secretary advising Bill that Mr. Nixon does not autograph baseballs. Bill knew that Mr. Nixon was a Phillies fan so he sent Mr. Nixon a Lenny Dykstra Jackson Mets baseball card. Months went by without a response and Bill pretty much forgot about the matter. Then one day Bill found a FedEx envelope on his desk at the Clarion Ledger with the Nixon autographed baseball inside. I figure that there are some similar stories regarding his other memorabilia. Bill was a great guy.

Anonymous said...

Bill was a stellar guy. I met him through sports Twitter (both of us uniform 'nerds') and we put 2 and 2 together that we both lived in the metro area. Kept up well and had plans for a tour of the 'sports cave' but unfortunately didn't get it together before he passed. DolphanBill will be sorely missed!

Anonymous said...

Kingfish can screw up any damned thing. Even a pseudo-obituary.

Anonymous said...

For what its worth, tonight was the most cars at Smith Wills since the days when the Mets won the Texas League. Been a while. RIP Bill.


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