John Jake

My dear dad, John Fredrick Jake, age 87, passed away peacefully on October 13, at his home in Tucson, Arizona.

John was born on October 17, 1936, in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. After a few moves, John graduated from Benjamin Bosse High School, in Evansville, Indiana. He attended Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee, but left to join the United States Air Force. He served both in the states and overseas in the GEEIA, the component of the Air Force that was responsible for the engineering and installation of fixed (ground-based) electronics systems during the 1960s and 70s. While serving stateside, he met his future wife Sandra, while working in Ajo, Arizona, after she left a note on his Austin Healey.

After his tour, John continued working in the electronics field, working for Univac in Austin Texas, then as the Southern regional manager for Harris Corporation in Atlanta then on to corporate in Dallas. Once life became settled, he chose to return to college and earn his (ahem) B.S. degree from Texas Christian University and his Masters in Art History from Southern Methodist University.

He bought a hobby farm and, like all boys dream about, got himself a tractor, just “to move some dirt around.”

From a boy, he loved aviation. His first job was a runner at a local airport. He was very proud of earning his pilot's license and owning a Mooney.

He enjoyed car restoration, Budweiser beer, reading, any and all types of animals (except mosquitos), navy beans with onion, motorcycles, Renaissance art, lakes, and Jim Beam, and he passed on the love of most of those things to his daughter.

John was preceded in death by his mother, Annie Louise O’Brien Jake and his father, Fredrick Jake, as well as his sister Rebecca Jake Rutledge.

John is survived by his wife, Sandra Pemberton Jake, and his daughter, Jorgiana Jake. He also leaves behind his brother Thomas Horall Jake of Henderson, KY, his nieces Susan Jake Baumert and Deborah Rutledge Minutti (Jonathan Minutti), his nephew, Dave Rutledge (Miko) his great nephews, Jeff Jake, Mike Jake, Austin Baumert, Jake Baumert, and Jeff Jake, and his grandniece Sophia Minutti.

John is also survived by many cousins back in Kentucky and some fine friends (and some crabby ol’ coots) in Lewisville, TX.

Special thanks to Casa de la Luz hospice for helping John and his daughter through the final stages of his journey. In lieu of flowers, please consider adopting a dog or cat, or heck, even a raccoon (which he did once), or donating to your local animal shelter.