Feb. 23, 1943 — Nov. 27, 2025
The family of Gerald “Jerry” Hauck (also known as Coach) is saddened to announce his unexpected passing on Nov. 27, 2025.
Jerry was born in Prairie City, Oregon, to Kathleen and John Hauck. He attended numerous schools in Oregon and California until his sophomore year of high school when his family settled in Ashland.
He played football, basketball and baseball at Ashland High School, as well as American Legion baseball. During his junior year, he met his wife, Denise, and they married in 1961.
Jerry enlisted in the U.S. Army, received a Marksman (Rifle & Pistol), Letter of Appreciation, and trained as a photographer at Fort Metuchen, New Jersey. He was stationed in Korea and Fort Gordon, Georgia.
After his discharge, Jerry worked at MEDCO in Medford, Oregon for three years and then attended Southern Oregon College. He graduated with a Master’s Degree in Business Education and began a 30-year career as a high school teacher, coach and administrator.
While teaching, Jerry also coached football, basketball and baseball at Ashland Junior High School, Klamath Union High School, and Ashland High School (AHS). In 1978 he was hired as head boys basketball coach at AHS and took over a program that only won 12 games in the previous six seasons.
From 1982 to 1996 his teams won three conference championship titles in four years, and qualified to the Oregon State Tournament seven times with a fourth-place finish in the state tournament in 1986. He ended his career with 204 wins, the most by any boys basketball coach in AHS history. In the late ’70s and through the 80’s, Jerry coached and financially supported the Southern Oregon A’s American Legion Baseball team, a combination of players from Ashland and Phoenix high schools.
Jerry volunteered for five years as supervisor for the Ashland High School student branch of Rogue Credit Union. After he achieved his accreditation, he was Vice Principal at AHS for the final three years of his career and retired in 2001. After retirement, he was elected to the Rogue Credit Union Board of Directors in 2002, served for 20 years, and nine of those years as board chair. Jerry, along with his wife Ellen, facilitated support groups for the Alzheimer’s Association.
Jerry enjoyed gardening, camping at Lake of the Woods, traveling, and spending time with his grandchildren.
Jerry was preceded in death by his wife, Denise (Dodge) Hauck; his mother, Kathleen (Weeks) Hauck; his father, John Hauck; and his brothers John Hauck, Steve Hauck, and David Hauck. He is survived by his wife Ellen Gardner Hauck, his sister Sherry (Hauck) Burrell, his sister-in-law Carol (Dodge) Voris, his children Jeff Hauck (Rhonda), DeeDee [Hauck] Steck (Jay), Gregory Hauck (Carrie), and Andrew Hauck (Beth), as well as 10 grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and seven nieces and nephews.
A private burial service for family will be held at Litwiller Funeral Home.
A public celebration of life will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, in the gymnasium at Ashland High School.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to:
- David Kitchell endowment (achfoundation.org/kitchell-giving-circle)
- Boy’s and Girl’s club of the Rogue Valley (begreat4kids.com)
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