OBITUARY

Louis Albert Jett, affectionately known as “Koon” of Hillsboro, Virginia, passed away peacefully on July 17, 2026, at Inova Hospital, surrounded by his loving family. Louis was born on February 25, 1950, in Willard, Virginia to Elizabeth Lucas Jett and General Sherman Jett. He graduated from Loudoun Valley High School. He was baptized at an early age but on June 10, 2026, he was rebaptized in the name of the Lord at the Redeemed Church of Jesus Christ in Warrenton, VA. of 2026.

After returning home from serving in the United States Army, Louis married the late Vivian “Bunnie” Curry Jett. Together, they welcomed two sons, Louis Jett Jr. and James Jett. He was also the proud father of two daughters: Kisha Jett Williams with the late Beverly Reddick and Teasha Allen, with the late Brenda Allen.

Louis dedicated many years to working in the maintenance industry as he proudly served in the United States Army receiving an honorable discharge. He later became self-employed and founded Jett’s Hauling Services. He was known for his strong work ethic and commitment to his community. Louis found great joy in helping others, especially his family, whose smiles brought him immense happiness.

He had a deep passion for genealogy and historical research, particularly documenting the lives of enslaved African Americans in Loudoun County. He took great pride in his penmanship and in preserving local history by creating family history binders. He generously gifted those to many families and individuals. Louis was actively involved with the Edwin Washington Project as a passionate advocate for Black History, a physical guide and as a human being. He was a cornerstone of the Lincoln Preservation Foundation and a devoted board member for the Friends of Grace Multicultural Center, working tirelessly to save the historic Grace Heritage site in Lincoln, Virginia.

Louis loved preserving local history and honoring those whose stories deserved to be remembered. The many memories that he had watching his grandmother cutting out articles and obituaries out of the newspaper with anything having to do with black people and pasting it in her notebooks. This memory inspired Louis to keep careful records of his own. In the 26 years he created a collection of over a hundred five-inch-thick spiral-bound binders filled with clippings and notes. He began alphabetizing and organizing his grandmother’s work and added his own work. “I want to show [black history] as it really is, because it’s not a pretty picture,” Jett said. In the summer of 2010, an arsonist set fire to the Asbury Methodist Church in Hillsboro, where Jett had been temporarily storing his research. He lost everything, and there were no backup copies.

He also enjoyed horse racing while working at the racetrack. Louis will be remembered for his love of family, history and much more.

Louis was preceded in death by his parents Elizabeth Lucas Jett and General Sherman Jett, his son, Louis Jett Jr. (Louie) and a granddaughter Sarina Jett and his siblings Audrey Bush, Bettie Bailey, Nina Terrell, Willie Johnson, Barbara Davis, Mary Cheatham, Ruth Thornton and Nina Fields, his brother-in-law’s Henry E. Whiting Sr. and Chester Thornton Sr., his aunts Madeline Lucas Morris, Stella Hymann and uncles Garfield Lucas, Haywood Lucas, Albert Lucas, Cecil Lucas and Harvey Lucas.

He leaves to mourn his son, James Jett, his daughters Kisha Jett Williams, Teasha Allen his grandchildren, Jordan Jett, Ava Jett, Alaina Jett, James Jett Jr., Mackenzie Williams, Kayleigh Williams, Lauren Jett Lee, Kaylah Jett and many great-grandchildren. His sisters Doris Whiting, Shirley Ewell, Stella Thornton (Sammy), Josephine Brown (Terry), Rosie Wade and his brothers William Lucas and Sherman Jett and a brother-in-law Benjamin Cheatham and a host of other relatives and friends. He will be deeply missed by many.

As so delicately stated by Chair Phyllis J. Randall, “If there was a man who passed through this life not making a lot of noise, yet making an enormous positive impact, Louis Jett was that man.