Jerome Coffel

Jerome (Jerry) Francis Coffel, 89, passed away September 27th, 2026 at his home surrounded by family. He was born May 24, 1937, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Jerry graduated from Columbia Heights High School in 1955 and went on to the University of Minnesota, earning a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering.

It was during his college years that he met his sweetheart, Halett, in Columbia Heights. They married on September 2, 1961, and moved to Santa Monica, California, where Jerry began his career with Douglas Aircraft. In 1963, a job offer from Honeywell brought them back home to Minnesota, where Jerry spent 25 years working on projects ranging from aircraft de-icing systems to flight training simulators and pilot helmet display systems. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he continued his engineering career with Rosemount Engineering.

The family's cabin at Turtle Lake, Wisconsin, became the heart of Jerry's mid-life years. An avid fisherman, he knew Horseshoe Lake like the back of his hand. He also spent countless hours at the helm of the ski boat, towing his kids and their friends across the water. He also loved long hikes through the surrounding woods.

In their third chapter together, Jerry and Halett shared a love of travel, spending long stretches of time in Hawaii and California — soaking up the ocean air, the natural beauty, and the local food and culture along the way.
People would describe him as a quiet, smart introvert with a warm heart. He always “lit up” in the presence of the generations of family around him.

He will be dearly missed by his surviving wife Halett and their children, Monica (Jim) Jendro and Kevin (Mari) Coffel; grandchildren Ashlyn Jendro (Geoff Synco), Amy (Adam) Laabs, Andrea Jendro, Benjamin (Katana) Coffel, Lucille Coffel, Eleanor (Wyatt) Borst, and Jonah Coffel; and 4 great-grandchildren. Jerry was proceeded in death by his parents Clarence and Catherine Coffel; as well as two brothers and two sisters.

A private memorial service and inurnment will be held at Oak Knoll Lutheran Church in Minnetonka, Minnesota for the immediate family.