David Jack

From his love of travel, history and the Chicago Cubs to his dedication to family, church and his community David Conklin Jack was a man of eclectic passions and experiences. Mr. Jack,a retired trust officer and Vice President of the First National Bank of Decatur, died Sunday, October 11, 2009 in Decatur. A memorial service will be held at 2 pm on Thursday, October 15, 2009 at the First Presbyterian Church of Decatur with a reception to follow.At his request Mr. Jack has bequeathed his body to the Anatomical Gift Association of Illinois. Brintlinger and Earl Funeral Home, Decatur, IL, will be handling the arrangements. A lifelong resident of Decatur Mr. Jack was an Eagle Scout,a 1943 graduate of Decatur High School, and a graduate of Millikin University, class of 1949. He completed his legal studies at the Washington University School of Law in 1952. Prior to joining the National Bank of Decatur in 1960, he was a practicing attorney and he served as past president of the Decatur Bar Association.Mr. Jack was employed for nearly forty years at the National Bank of Decatur as a trust officer and later as vice president and member of the Board. He was respected by his peers for his dedication and expertise to estate planning and the somewhat unusual steps he would take to assist a client. He was known to personally go and change the license plates on a car for a retired client living in Florida and he once arranged for a mailed wedding gown to be stored in the bank's vault over a weekend until the client, who was out of town, could return to retrieve it. Mr. Jack was a third generation member of the First Presbyterian Church of Decatur where he was a session member and he remained an active participant throughout his life.He was also a veteran of World War 2 during which he kept a diary recording his experiences as a member of an anti aircraft battery assigned to protect forward air bases located in England, Normandy, Holland and Luxemburg. He was married to Joan Purdue Jack, his wife of 55 years. When Mr. Jack first met his future wife at a church youth fellowship meeting the then Miss Purdue was warned by the church minister that "young David didn't seem to have the sense that God gave a goose". Undeterred, Miss Purdue waited for her future husband to complete his military and academic obligations before they were wed on November 21, 1953. They went on to raise three sons together in the home they had built for themselves in 1960 at 514 Woodhill Drive in Decatur.He was life long loyal and dedicated follower of the Chicago Cubs baseball team and in 1969 Mr Jack, along with his older brother Thomas, each managed to purchase a single share of Chicago Cub baseball stock. An annual treat for Mr. Jack and his family was to travel to Chicago every February to attend the annual Chicago Cubs stockholders meeting and to meet the team members. Throughout the 1960's and 1970's Mr. Jack and his family traveled extensively throughout the world visiting cultural and historical sites in east Africa, the middle east, central Asia as well as western Europe. Mr. Jack took much satisfaction in planning and organizing the trips himself. He is survived by his wife, Joan, his brother Thomas Burrowes Jack Jr of Dubuque IA, his eldest son David, daughter-in-law Amy Mayer, and granddaughters Suzanna and Emily of Brookline, MA and a granddaughter Barbara McLaughlin of Painted Post, NY. and one great granddaughter, Victoria. His parents, and two sons, Robert Sloan and Scott Stevens, preceded him in death. Memorials may be made to either the David C. Jack Memorial Scholarship Fund or to the First Presbyterian Church. "
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