Courtney Jack Conyers

In addition to Billie, his wife of almost twenty years, Jack is survived by his sons John (now living in Berlin, Germany, with wife Ellen Garske and grandson Leon, a university student in Leipzig) and Michael (now living in Chicago with his wife, Glynis Kinnan) as well as numerous nieces and nephews, cousins and extended families. Jack’s daughter, the late Joanna Conyers Gornto, passed away in 2015.

Jack was born February 6, 1931 in Spartanburg, SC, to John and Louise Bland Conyers, who brought their family to Glynn County in 1942 and settled on the corner of Oak and Magnolia on St. Simons Island. Jack called that his home during his teenage years, and his parents remained there until their deaths. Jack graduated from Glynn Academy in 1949 and from his tightly-knit circle of friends, it was Jim Cavanaugh with whom Jack was closest for all his days.

After a brief stint at Georgia Southern in the early ‘50s, Jack joined the Air Force and was stationed in Nashville, where he served for one year, eight months and 3 days....Not that he was counting….

After his honorable discharge, Jack continued his education at the University of Georgia where he met two pivotal people: George Sebba, Ph.D., his professor, friend and mentor; and Veronica Goldsmith, who became his wife of 45 years and the mother of his three children.

Professionally, Jack considered himself a “Proud Bureaucrat” with twenty-five years’ service in the Federal Government. After graduating from UGA in 1956, he secured a position at the Atomic Energy Commission in Augusta, GA. A promotion then led the family to Washington, D.C., where Jack held positions at the Civil Service Commission (’66 –’68 / ’69-‘75), and the National Endowment for the Humanities (‘68-’69).

This combination of experience and contacts led to Jack’s appointment as the representative for the U.S. Department of Justice at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) at Glynco Naval Base, bringing his family back home to the Golden Isles. Jack was tasked with promoting the Center and bringing law enforcement agencies from across the country to Glynco for training. His legacy of skill and dedication was a major contribution to FLETC’s current success.

Upon returning to St Simons, Jack also became involved with The Island Players, an active local theatre company, where he was a welcomed contributor to the actors’ pool. He liked to say that acting gave him the vehicle to be anything he desired: a king in “The King and I,” a Navy Captain in “Mister Roberts,” a Southern gentleman in “Little Foxes,” a juror in “Twelve Angry Men,” a rabbi in “Fiddler on the Roof,” a lawyer in “Mame,” a gallant plantation owner in “South Pacific”; and, in the 2004 production of “On Golden Pond,” Jack had the lead role of Norman with his real-life wife, Billie, playing the role of Ethel.

Jack had reconnected with his long-time friend and fellow actor, Billie Sargent, after the prolonged illness and death of his wife Veronica in 1998. Jack and Billie married in 2000, and later moved from their East Beach home to West Lake at Sea Palms for several years. They retired in 2015 to Marsh’s Edge, where Jack never stopped delighting people with his jokes, songs, and stories of his life’s adventures. He remained loyal to the things that were important to him: his family, his church (The Unitarian Universalists of Coastal Georgia {UUCG} of which he was a founding member), the environment (he brought Marsh’s Edge into the world of recycling in 2017), and his vocal and acting gifts.

In addition to stage work, Jack used his outstanding vocal talents five days a week reading local newspapers’ stories for Georgia Public Broadcasting’s GARRS (Georgia Radio Reading Service). Bridge with Billie, games of gin with grand-niece Maggie, Marsh’s Edge Trivia with his team “Gone to the Dogs”, crossword puzzles with the Fishmans, singing with “GUSTO” – the Marsh’s Edge choral group he helped start, and Braves’ baseball all kept Jack happily occupied until he left this life. His stories of early St. Simons and his life experiences, as well as his quick wit, will be sorely missed.

The family will receive friends and neighbors at a happy hour celebration to sing, tell stories and raise a glass to Jack at Marsh’s Edge on Saturday, September 14 at 5:00 PM. Please RSVP by Sept. 10 to [email protected].

The UUCG will host a “Time of Remembrance” service the following day, Sept. 15 at 12:15 at their sanctuary at 1710 Gloucester St. in Brunswick. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the UUCG Legacy Fund in honor of Jack Conyers: UUCG, P.O. Box 1056, Brunswick, GA 31520.

Arrangements are entrusted into the care of Edo Miller and Sons Funeral Home www.edomillerandsons.com