Robert “Bob” Jack, 88, a former longtime Baker City resident, died March 25, 2008, at Clackamas.
Bob was born on Dec. 25, 1919, at Baker City. He was a 1938 Baker High School and worked at the mill in Pondosa out of high school.
He was a member of the Oregon Army National Guard. He enlisted on May 27, 1941, with Company F 2nd Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Division during World War II.
On Jan. 24, 1942, at Fort Lewis, Wash., he married Lola A. Randall on a number of 15-minute leaves provided by his company members. He returned from the war three years later and worked for Pacific Fruit for seven years.
In 1952, Bob bought a little mom and pop grocery market in Baker City and named it Jack’s 3rd & B. He operated the store until 1992 when he retired. The store was torn down and a manufactured home was put in its place where Bob and Lola lived until June of 2006 when his children talked him into moving to Clackamas to be closer to family.
Bob was never sick a day in his life until he was hospitalized on Christmas Day (his birthday) 2007 when he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. He was in no pain and died peacefully of natural causes at home.
Survivors include his wife, Lola; his children, Alyce Sommerfeldt and her husband, Ray, Barbara Lacey and her husband, Don, and Robert Jack and his wife, Debbie; grandchildren, Tamara (Thomas) Burkley, Rick Smith (Crystal), David (Ann) Smith, and Catherine (Chris) Schindler, Brad Garrett (Heather), Patrick (Annette) Garrett, Kim (Darin) Ferry and Randy (Debi) Jack; great-grandchildren, Randall, Scott, Matthew, Andrew, Paige, Jessalyn, Shonda, Saebra, Daniel, Houston, LeeAnne, Cheyenne, Colten, Jared, Stephen, Carlynn, Delanie, Mac, Joel, Selena, Paige, Nathan, Megan, Cassidy, Gabrielle, Hailey and Ryan; and 14 great-great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Hospital Building Fund, in Baker City.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, April 2, 2008
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor