Jack was educated in the Chicago Public School System. He graduated from Chicago Vocational School, which prepared him for becoming certified as an Aircraft Engine/ Airframe Mechanic and Ground Instructor in the field of Aviation Mechanics. John then graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from Chicago Teachers College facilitating his teaching credentials in Illinois and Florida. His career in the field of education began with the teaching of aviation mechanics at Lane Technical High School in Chicago, John then moved to the Miami/Dade Florida area where he resumed his career by teaching automotive mechanics at Southwest High School, while John was teaching in Miami he began attending classes at Florida State University where he obtained his Masters degree in Administration and Supervision of Vocational Education. This certification facilitated his Tallahassee based career with Florida’s newly formed “Division of Vocational Education”. During his employment with the Department of Education John became the statewide director of Industrial Education Programs and later the Assistant Bureau Chief of the statewide bureau of “Planning and Budgeting for Vocational Education” John retired from Florida’s Department of Education after accumulating 41 years of employment in the field of Vocational Education.
John was married to Jane Lee Gill for 17 1/2 years; Jane gave birth to two daughters, Lorraine Marie and Linda Louise. Linda currently resides in Tallahassee Florida and Lorraine resides in Spring Hill Florida. Jane passed away from cancer in 1975.
John married Lois Jean Quillen Fletcher Sojat in 1977. Lois brought her daughter, Teri Lynn Fletcher into the family. Teri currently resides in Tallahassee Florida.
John’s cumulative years of married life now exceed 60 blessed years.
John’s hobbies were family oriented and included camping in all 48 of the continental United States and all of the Canadian Provinces bordering the US. Photography was a significant part of the camping experience. The Family logged 147 salt-water fishing trips while living in South Florida, followed by a considerable number of fresh water fishing trips while living in North Florida. Facilitating the renovation and expansion of the Tallahassee Little Theatre (now know as the Theatre of Tallahassee) was a major project for John and Lois during the 1980-1991 time periods. Considerable involvement with Leon County’s Extension Center led the way to Johns facilitating the establishment of birding trails in three of Leon Counties Greenways. John’s construction activities included adding a 20X20 room to one of his Tallahassee homes as well as the construction of considerable decking to another of his Tallahassee homes as well as to his daughter Linda’s home in Quincy Florida.
The scattering of John’s cremains will be scheduled later by the surviving family members.
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