Henry G. "Jerry" Polz III

Henry Gerald Polz III, “Jerry”, a beloved father, grandfather, brother, uncle, husband and friend, was
born on January 16th , 1955 in Chicago, Illinois, and passed away peacefully on January 31st, 2025, at
home with his dog Holly by his side. The eldest son of Henry Gerald Polz Jr. and Eunice Polz of West
Chicago, grew up with 6 siblings and a slew of neighborhood friends. His days were filled with making
memories and mischief on and around Melolane Drive. After Jerry graduated from West Chicago
Community High School in 1963, he enlisted in the Navy. From there he went on to start his own
business, Wildcat Enterprises Inc, later Jerry’s Welding and Fabrication and S & S Welding. Jerry
dedicated over 50 years of his life to his career as an engineer and entrepreneur, retiring in March 2018.
Jerry married Cathy (Metcalf) Polz in 1982 and they had two children Julie (Polz) Mertz and Henry Gerald
Polz IV.
Jerry was a proud member of the Suburban RC Barnstormers for many years, and more recently of the
Rockford Valley RC Flyers Club, where he enjoyed flying, volunteering, and instructing. The shared
passion for flying created a community of friends that spanned lifetime. In addition to his love for flying,
Jerry was an avid outdoorsman, spending his free time fishing, hunting, shooting and enjoying nature.
He was a hard worker, with an incredibly ingenious mind, often creating, building or resolving issues
with his own custom designs. Some of the projects he was most proud of were the Wright Brothers
replica at the Museum of Science and Industry, the restoration and memorial of the F-84F fighter jet at
the West Chicago VFW, and his contribution to the Deep Tunnel in Chicago. Through his work he will
continue to live on.
He is preceded in death by his mother Eunice and father Henry. He is survived by siblings, Kathi Polz, Ed
(Sue) Polz, Kristi Husenica, Victor (Rene) Polz, Mary (Phil) Kurzhals, Michael (Patricia) Polz, his children
Julie (Harris) Mertz and Henry (Brittany) Polz, his grandchildren Violet Mertz and Barrett Mertz and 12
nieces and nephews with which he loved deeply.
A celebration of life will take place at the West Chicago VFW, from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 26th. In lieu of flowers,
donations can be made to the West Chicago VFW or A Little R&R Animal Sanctuary, in Jerry’s honor.

Veterans of Foreign Wars 6791
431 N Neltnor Blvd
West Chicago, IL 60185

https://vfw.org/
https://www.rr-sanctuary.org/#!contact/c14xr

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