standing on the shoulders of giants - grandpa jack

recently, we shared the life and military service of "grandpa jack" with the kids.  John (Jack) Paul Parry is Jack's namesake and he often asks about the man he's named after.  i told them about his cheesy jokes about the name jack.  one of my favorites was, 'hi jack - whoops, can't say that one in the airport!'  we told them how jack lived a very healthy life - playing 18 holes of golf at age 90 and going into the office to see clients into his late 80s.  and how he was always generous with his money - giving every grandchild a fun christmas bonus.  dave remembers him being at as many of his sporting events as possible.  in his honor, there was a family softball team for the idaho falls league named 'jack's pack' in which every member wore tie dye as jerseys. And we watched 'Echo' - a family made DVD saluting his service during WWII.  and the paper weight that sat on their coffee table for years now sits on our desktop as a reminder of him.

Below is his obituary:

John (Jack) Paul Parry, 91, of Idaho Falls, passed away July 31, 2015 at Lincoln Court Retirement Center surrounded by his family.

Jack was born July 20,1924 in Malad, Idaho, to Paul and Mary Mildred Parry. He was raised in Malad with two sisters and two brothers. He graduated from Malad High School in 1942. Jack was a hard-working man his whole life. He worked from the time he was a small boy cleaning chicken coops for 10 cents a day. He loved all sports and played football, baseball, basketball and even pole vaulted with a bamboo pole in High School. At 17 he left home and moved to Salt Lake taking a job as an apprentice for the Railroad. It was here that he met his future wife who happened to be a roommate with his cousin. Vadis Parry introduced Jack to Lois Lovell, of Ririe, Idaho, and they were married on March 28,1943. They were sealed in the Idaho Falls Temple on March 28,1946.

Two months after they were married, Jack was drafted into the army and served heroically until the end the war. Their first child, Renne Sue, was born during this time. Five more children were born to this union, Harriett, Kristine, John, Jackie and Steven. During WWII, Jack was a member of the Army's Rainbow Division which participated in the liberation of Dachau prison camp. He received the Bronze Star for an incredible act of courage to save a fellow soldier under fire. Jack stayed silent about his war experience for decades, until he began hearing public denials of the holocaust.Thereafter, he made numerous public and school presentations regarding the war, and considered it his sacred duty to bear witness of the atrocities of the holocaust.

After the war, Jack returned to BYU. He became a CPA and held the oldest active license in Idaho at the age of 90.

Jack was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many capacities in the Church. He especially loved the young men and spent many hours coaching and mentoring them. He was a friend to all-whether he knew them or not. In 1990, Jack and Lois served a church mission to Anaheim, California. He was a long-time member of the Idaho Falls Kiwanis Club and served a term as president.

Jack was his children's and grandchildren's greatest fan. He attended countless sporting events and even played with them on a coed softball team for several years. This team (Jack's Pack) is still going strong and has several of his grandchildren and great grandchildren playing on it. He didn't miss a game and attended his last game a week before his death.

Jack was preceded in death by Lois, his eternal companion of 71 years, his parents, his three beautiful daughters: Renne Sue Roe, Harriett Millburn and Kristine Powell, his son-in-law Chuck Roe, his two brothers Warren and Bill Parry, and his sister LaDean Dixon.

Jack is survived by his two sons, John D (Renee) Parry and Steven (Sharon) Parry, his daughter Jackie (Mark) Fuller, the three grandchildren he helped raise, Terry (Debie) Roe, Tammi (Frank) Hopkins, Rozie (Brad) Couch, two sons-in-law Ron Millburn and Glade Powell, his sister Barbara (Bud) Olson, 25 additional grandchildren, seventy-one great grandchildren and nine great-great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, August 8, 2015 at the LDS Virlow Chapel, 2349 Virlow, Idaho Falls.The family will visit with friends and family from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday and 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Saturday, both at the Virlow Church Building. Burial will be in the Ririe/Shelton Cemetery with military rites performed by the Bonneville County Veterans Team and Idaho Honor Guard. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Idaho Falls Humanitarian Center, 3270 E. 17th St. #240, Ammon, ID 83406.