John "Captain Jack" Christian Nesset

John attended Centralia High School where he played football, graduating in 1972. After graduation his love of maps drew him to the field of land title insurance, beginning what became his career starting with Title Guarantee in Aberdeen, WA. His love of the sea and sailing the Puget Sound eventually brought him and his new bride, Shan, to Port Townsend, WA in 1977. In 1982 he founded Jefferson Title Company and the beginnings of the Horizon Title Group, passing this legacy on to his two sons, Christian and Bernt.

John is survived by his bride of 46 years, Shan; his three treasured children, Christian (Brittany), Bernt (Tiffany), and Lydia (Burk); and 13 beloved grandchildren, Taylor B, Nadia, Blake, Reese, Jonathan, Tay Tay, Brendyn, Lillian, James, Ethan, Marcus, Eliza, and Oliver. He also leaves his brothers Duane and Jeff, and many extended family members and friends who loved him dearly.

John was a husband, father, brother, friend, sea captain, and employer. He left an eternal impact on the lives of those whom he loved, the reach of which is impossible to quantify. He was kind, quick to forgive, and diligent; an adoring husband, a gentle father, a doting grandfather, and an invaluable friend.

John was known for his quick wit, his passion for the Pacific Ocean (not the Atlantic), and he often quoted Rat from Wind in the Willows, when he said, “there is nothing half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” His was an adventurous spirit, beginning in childhood with broken bones, sunk dinghies, and sparse meals as he spent his twenties in a beat-up Volkswagen van to chase the snow for the best skiing. Following their wedding, John, Shan, and Christian lived on a sailboat until Bernt entered the world, when they settled into life on land with their growing family, but given the choice, he always preferred the gentle rocking of a boat bunk to his land-locked bed. He spent his younger years

windsurfing, skiing, and SCUBA diving. As he aged the greatest adventure he treasured was spending time with his family in Southeast Alaska, shrimping, salmon fishing, and simply messing about in boats. When not adventuring, John was learning magic tricks to amaze his grandchildren, perfecting his beautiful handwriting with calligraphy practice, and searching for strange culinary finds, canned smoked octopus being among his favorites.

John was an avid storyteller, especially gifted in weaving harrowing tales of his adventures hunting for treasure off the coasts of California and Spain. But he quietly laid up for himself treasure in heaven as he extended a myriad of unseen kindnesses in the name of Christ. He loved the life he was given. In many ways when he entered a room, he seemed to bring life with him, yet he looked forward to that eternal shore, to the Savior he humbly adored and the life eternal he knew had been secured for him through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. The Lord called him home.

Fair winds and following seas,

Captain Jack.

Please send flowers to:

Jefferson Title Co.

2205 Washington Street

Port Townsend, WA 98368

Hours of operations: Monday - Friday 8am-5pm