Jack passed away peacefully at the age of 87 at home in Palo Alto California. A 50 year resident of Los Altos California, Jack had moved to the Classic Residence near Stanford University in 2005.

Jack was born in Indianapolis Indiana and was the eldest of three children including his brother Harry and sister Betty. Harry resides in Indianapolis, as did Betty before preceding Jack in death in 1996 at the age of 70.

Jack was raised in Indianapolis where he met his loving wife Mary Jane “Jane” Baltz while attending High School. After they met, Jack and Jane were never far apart and they later married in 1943. Jane passed away in 1995 at the age of 72 after 52 years of marriage to Jack.

Jack attended Butler University in Indianapolis and studied Accounting before being drafted into military service near the end of his senior year of college. Jack was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity while at Butler and maintained a life long relationship with the fraternity. While in the Army Jack was a member of a group of draftees who became known as “The Quiz Kids” when they scored the highest grades on the army entrance exams. Jack served his country by working to ensure Army personnel and their families received paychecks for their service throughout the duration of World War II.

After the war Jack completed his college degree by passing an oral exam which was the custom for students that had been drafted near the end of their college careers. His Army experience had been a real education in the world of finance and he soon started a career in banking at Indiana National Bank.

In 1955 Jack and Jane moved to California with their two oldest children and Jack started work at Bank of America at the San Francisco headquarters. He rose to become a Vice President of the bank and retired in 1982 after 32 years of service. He was proud of his contributions to the bank and how Bank of America provided financial help to so many people as California was growing rapidly in the 1950’s and 60’s. He was also proud of his contributions to the development of the first credit card, the “Bankamericard” which introduced the concept of a credit card to the world. Later in his career at the bank he moved into marketing where he produced films and videos for the Training Department. Jack was known as a champion for his department always fighting to provide the group with the capability to produce high quality programs using the latest technology. Jack retired from the bank in 1982 but always remained proud of the bank and his contributions to it.

Jack’s personal interests included traveling and after retirement he and Jane traveled to a number of interesting places around the world. Also during retirement Jack enjoyed being a member of Sons in Retirement, an organization that encourages retired men to renew friendships. As a boy Jack was an Eagle Scout, an accomplishment he remained proud of throughout his life. He loved fishing and never tired of talking about fishing for steelhead salmon on the Smith River near the California and Oregon border. Jack was an occasional golfer and an enthusiastic skier who along with Jane’s brother Deb helped teach many family members how to ski.

Jack was an active member of St. William Catholic Church since becoming a resident of Los Altos in the 1950’s. Much of his life with Jane was centered around the church, the church community and family. Throughout his life Jack remained close to his own as well as Jane’s immediate families and maintained many ties to family and friends in Indiana.

Jack was a man that will be remembered for his consistent strong family values, work ethic and integrity. He was entered into rest next to Jane at Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery in Los Altos, California on November 30, 2007. His dear cousin Reverend Pat Evard officiated at the funeral Mass at St William Church in Los Altos.

Jack is survived by his brother Harry and his wife Jan, of Indianapolis Indiana, his children, John Jr. and his wife, Beth of Princeton, New Jersey, Trudy Chiddix and her husband Jim, of San Francisco, California, Philip and his wife, Susan and their children Adam and Amelia of Los Altos California and Gregory and his wife Kate, and their daughters Siena and Lia also of Los Altos, California.

In memory of Jack, tax deductible donations may be made to The Francis Center, an Ecumenical Help Agency, P.O. Box 66336, Portland OR 97290.