John Hetzner

1946 - 2019

John Hetzner

John Albert Hetzner of San Anselmo died in the early morning of February 14, 2019 and took a little piece of our hearts with him.

John was born in San Mateo on November 30, 1946 to Nanna Benediktson and William Hetzner who took him home to San Bruno to join his sister and brother, Georgia and Bill. He graduated from Capuchino High School and received his degree in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

Following graduation in 1969, he volunteered for a year with Vista in Gallup, New Mexico. Then, fearing his draft lottery number was up, he joined the Army Reserves and trained as a cook. In 1972, he embarked on his over 35-year career with the City and County of San Francisco, primarily with Hetch Hetchy Water and Power.

From an early age, John loved music, beginning with doo-wop and continuing onto R&B and soul. Over the years he amassed a prodigious collection of now well-worn 45s and LPs. He could name the record label and year of almost any song you threw at him. On the dance floor, he executed a mean James Brown shuffle.

In college, he began backpacking in the Sierras (the first of some 40 lifetime treks) with his friend Leonard Charles; their families would be close from then on. He started taking his sons Erik and Ian along when they were still in diapers, encouraging them to continue on with a trail of M&Ms. His first attempt of the John Muir Trail was halted when he had to return to classes. Over thirty years later, he hiked the trail, from Mt. Whitney to Yosemite, with his sons. He enjoyed fishing for the oft-elusive rainbow trout and when he gave up the rod and reel began tying intricate flies.

He made clear to all his desire for justice and equality and his consequent left politics. He had an appreciation for the human world and the things we create, and the natural world as well. He loved identifying and cultivating flowers and plants, especially those native to California in general and the Sierra Nevada in particular.

During his retirement he enjoyed traveling, both here and abroad. He camped at national parks throughout the West and Southwest. Two travel highlights were a musical tour with his family to New Orleans, Memphis and Nashville, with a quick stop in Port Arthur, Texas to toast Janis Joplin, and another family trip to Iceland to trace his maternal grandparents' forebears in remote villages. His last big road trip, in summer 2017, was a circumnavigation of the United States for a Hetzner family meet-up in Rhode Island.

John is survived by his wife Mary Jane Baird; his son Erik and Erik's partner Judith Anne Gray; his son Ian; and his two grandchildren, Beatriz and Ignacio. He also is survived by his brother Bill and wife Cathy, and his sisters- and brothers-in-law Nora Turner, Judy and Bob Leedy, and Casey and John Leones. He was Uncle John to Amy Hetzner, Melissa Hetzner (Don) Wood, Laura Leones (Josh) Noble, Caroline Leedy (Reed) Vilhauer, Gregory Leones, David Leedy, and Jill Turner and her fiancé Danny Brakebill; he achieved grand-uncle status with Lucy and Lisa Noble, Sara and Andrew Vilhauer, and Leona Wood. He was predeceased by his parents, his sister Georgia, and his brother-in-law Bill Turner.

A gathering will be held on Saturday, March 30 at the Fairfax Women's Club, 46 Park Road. Beginning at 5 p.m., the evening will include food, remembrances, and music.