Sepp Etterer, age 81, died peacefully in his Mentone home on January 3, 2026. He was born on August 31, 1944 in Munich, Germany to the late Josef & Ingeborg Fierlings Etterer. Sepp came from a small village outside of Munich where he herded cattle and later came to America to become an Electrical Engineer and a United States Air Force Pilot. After receiving his Electrical Engineering degree from Michigan State University he joined the United States Air Force where he became a pilot flying the C-141 aircraft, which was the largest aircraft at that time, in Vietnam. After his service, he later ran his own company, Safety Maintenance Organization Systems. Sepp was a member of Moon Lake Baptist Church in Mentone. He was a devoted husband and loving father. He had so many talents. He was a Jack Of All Trades in a true sense of the word.
A memorial service for Sepp Etterer will be announced in the immediate future.
He is survived by his wife, Judith Shell Etterer; children, Vik Etterer, Crista Etterer, Kurt Etterer, John Etterer, Julia Etterer-Gaffin, and Joe Etterer; sister, Helga Clark; half brother, Greg Alspaugh; half-sister, Robin Rich; grandchildren, Stephanie “Tepp”, Aaron, Noah, Aiden, Addi, Justice, Alonni, KJ, Gray, and Annie Ray; and two great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and several siblings.
