Jesse V Ambler

February 14, 1922 ~ September 2, 2020

Jess Ambler passed away peacefully at his daughter’s home in Colorado Springs at the age of 98. He was born February 14, 1922 in Abington, Pennsylvania to George Richardson Ambler and Josephine Johanna (Malone) Ambler, the youngest of 6 children. On September 28, 1946, Jess married Janet Walton in Staten Island, New York and was later sealed to her for time and eternity in the Manti Temple in 1955. They were married 52 years prior to Janet’s death in 1999.

As a child of the Depression, Jess was greatly influenced by his mother who saved the family home by baking pies. Jess did yard work to pay for his own clothes at the age of 9. He attended Abington High School where he ran cross country and track, running a 4:36 mile. After graduating in 1941, Jess enlisted in the Naval Air Corps and trained as a dive bomber. Shortly after his discharge in 1945, Jess was hospitalized and cared for by a nurse who became the love of his life, his wife Janet.

Jess attended the University of Pennsylvania on the GI Bill and graduated from the Wharton School of Finance & Commerce in 1948. While a student, Jess worked as a postman and check sorter for the Federal Reserve Bank. After graduation, he completed post-graduate studies in insurance and was persuaded to move to Texas—the Land of Opportunity—by his brother-in-law, Earl Jackson. Jess was recruited by several Texas insurance companies, and Jess and Janet moved to Dallas in 1950.

In 1957, Jess started the Ambler Insurance Agency which became one of the largest insurance agencies in Oak Cliff. 20 years later, he completed a five year long insurance course and earned the professional designation of Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter. Many of his customers became life-long friends. Jess’s success was due to a combination of the Irish gift of gab, hard work, kindness, constant personal service and above all, integrity.

Jess and Janet joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1952 and were instrumental in growing the church in north Texas. He was a founding member of the Dallas 2nd Ward and the first Dallas Stake; he oversaw the financing and construction of the first Dallas Stake Center which was partly built by members and dedicated in 1963. Jess served as a Bishop, Stake Mission President, Stake Presidency Counselor, Stake Patriarch, Temple Sealer and Temple Ordinance Worker. He followed the teachings of Christ by living a life of quiet service: visiting and caring for the elderly, infirm, the poor and disadvantaged.

Jess was active in local politics and ran for a seat on the Dallas City Council. He was active in the community, serving as PTA and Band Booster President. After retirement, Jess became a prodigious writer, penning almost daily discourses on spiritual subjects. He documented pages and pages of historical memories which he later published in 2009 as the Ambler Family History. Jess was a lover of poetry with an astounding memory. He quoted one of his favorite poems the day before his death.

Jess loved the outdoors and carved time from his busy career for numerous family camping and road trips throughout the U.S. After retirement, Jess and Janet traveled the continental U.S., Hawaii and organized two tours to Israel. Jess loved the mountains of Colorado and fulfilled a life-long dream of owning a plot of land where his extended family could gather. For 10 long years, he painstakingly built by hand (with help) a 3-story cabin in the San Isabel National Forest, a beacon on a hill that became filled with the love and laughter of three generations of his family.

The guiding principle of Jess’s life was his enormous love for his wife, Janet, for whom he professed constant admiration and respect, both before and after her death. Above all else, Jess was a family man—long before that was fashionable. He was a mentor and advisor to his grandchildren, and he cherished each new great-grandchild. In his later years, he believed his greatest success was his family. His legacy will live on through each of his progenitors.

Jess is preceded in death by his wife, Janet Walton Ambler, his parents, brothers Ephraim, Henry and Gordon and sisters Josephine and Adelaide.

He is survived by his five children, Lynn Hunter of Grand Prairie, TX, Melanie (David) Adams of Colorado Springs, CO, David (Cindy) Ambler of Tyler, TX, Elizabeth (Jeff) Weissman of Lindon, UT, Jonathan (Jill) Ambler of Colorado City, CO; grandchildren, Paul (Tanya) Hunter, Emily (Brandon) Westover, Alison (Tyson) Mackey, Jeff (Jaclyn) Hunter, Keith (Lisa) Adams, Amy (Brady) Williams, April (Michael) Sorensen, Brian (Susan) Adams, Scott (McKenzie) Adams, Shannon Kirk, Bryan (Shanda) Ambler, Jessica Spear, Jeremy (Rebecca) Ruppe, Deanna (Michael) Brown, Ashlee Trebilcock, Ariel (Miguel) Figueroa, Cathryn (Aaron) Frame, Tiffany Ambler, Samuel Ambler, Laura Ambler, and Hannah Ambler; great-grandchildren, Coby Hunter, Adam Hunter, Aaron Hunter, Katelyn Hunter, Alek Westover, Gretchen Westover, Tara Westover, Brooke Mackey, Annika Mackey, Jack Mackey, Ethan Hunter, Claire Hunter, Audrey Hunter, John Hunter, Eric Adams, Sarah Adams, Linda Adams, Jeremy Adams, Dallin Williams, Aspen Williams, Amber Williams, Chase Williams, Michael Williams, Ashley Williams, Payton Sorensen, Grace Adams, Katie Adams, Rhett Adams, Henry Adams, Mason Adams, Avery Adams, Olivia Adams, Christian Kwiecian, Kyleigh Kirk, Nicollette Kirk, Coby Ambler, Blake Ambler, Caston Spear, Jameson Spear, Annabelle Brown, Brody Brown, Ophelia Brown, Alexander Ruppe, Natalie Frame, Ethan Frame, Elodie Frame, Jayden Frame, with three more arriving this year.

A viewing will take place on September 10, 2020 at Laurel Land Funeral Home from 6:30 pm to 8 pm. (6300 S R L Thornton Fwy, Dallas, TX 75232)

The funeral will take place on September 11, 2020. Due to Covid restrictions this service will be streamed via Zoom. Please contact the family for the link to view.

A graveside service will be held on Friday, September 11, 2020 at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests you donate to Cure Alzheimer’s Curealz.com in Jess & Janet Ambler’s name