Gerene Marie Hecht

July 6, 1928 - October 4, 2021

Hecht, Gerene Marie (nee Crews), passed away, Monday, October 4, 2021. Beloved wife of the late Warren Hecht; dearest mother of Nancy (Doug) Waggoner and Dr. David (Dr. Gail) Hecht; dear grandmother of Lt. Col. Philip (Anna) Waggoner, Sara (AJ) Eads, Dr. Aaron (Nathania Hau) Hecht and Dr. Cameron (Saule Buozyte) Hecht; great-grandmother of Alana and Adrienne Waggoner; loving daughter of the late Kenneth and Talitha Crews; sister of Roy (Ann) Crews, William (Kathleen) Crews and the late Kenneth Crews Jr.; sister-in-law of Pat Hecht; dear aunt, great-aunt and friend of many. Gerene was a graduate of Clayton High School and worked as an accountant. She married Warren A. Hecht on September 3, 1949, and together raised their family while successfully building their local business, Essen Hardware, into a regional staple known for its personal service. Gerene was a beloved and active member of St. Paul’s Evangelical Church. Over her 77 years as a member, she served in the choir, Women’s Fellowship group, Bible study group, fund-raising and innumerable activities supporting the church and the community. Her faith was powerful and evident every day of her life. Gerene was also known for her beautiful flowers, particularly roses, that surrounded her houses. But above all, she loved her family and spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, enjoying all that she learned about their lives. Services: Funeral service at the SCHRADER Funeral Home and Crematory, 14960 Manchester Road at Holloway, Ballwin, Tuesday, October 12, at 10:00 a.m. Service will be live streamed for those unable to attend.