John (Jack) H. Rule Jr.

Jack had a rich life which he lived well. In his youth he was energetic, studious and an avid participant in school activities, church, sports, community, and had a dear circle of friends with whom he grew up in Little Rock. He loved the outdoors, became an Eagle Scout, a Quapaw Scout Camp counselor and scout leader. After graduating from Central High School, he declined an appointment to West Point Military Academy to attend Oklahoma University.

John Harold (Jack) Rule Jr., a gentle and passionate man with a wonderful heart died Friday afternoon, April 3, 2015, at the age of 90

Jack used to say “I knew I wanted to be an engineer at the age of 11”. After serving in the US Navy near the end of World War II, his artistic design talents, curiosity to understand and passion to make a difference drove a wonderful engineering career into his 70s.

Jack carried his love for nature and Arkansas throughout his life with his family –camping all over the state, canoeing Arkansas streams with his children and the scouts. He was an avid reader, hungry to understand how people thought and what made “folks tic”. His depth of knowledge was amazing and broad –he could talk about almost anything humbly but with much intelligence. When talking with Jack you’d sometimes wonder where he was going, to find the conversation circle back to a fabulous message –then Wow! For 10 years he was an active Contact volunteer, receiving calls from Arkansans who needed insight and someone to listen and to help guide their thoughts. It was during this time that he met his dear wife Cathey (also a Contact volunteer) –his soul-mate in life.

Cathey and Jack built a wonderful life together, joining their 2 families and eventually moving to their home on Lake Hamilton.

Jack could not take enough pictures –everything was an opportunity to be captured artistically. And his artful vision spread from his camera to his three-dimensional creations with copper, fibers and wood and in the kitchen. If you cooked with Jack Rule, but you weren’t a cook –you quickly became one as he engaged you in the heart of the process. This was Jack Rule –when you were with him it was about you and the world and that moment.

In his later years Jack suffered from Alzheimer’s. Amidst his challenge, he engineered work-arounds for almost any form of conversation, interjecting gentle meaningful thoughts that would always fit comfortably and fool your curiosity of his sufferings.

Jack was the son of John Harold Rule, Sr. and Adelaide Sibley Rule. He is survived by his wife Cathey, and her daughter Julia and husband Darren McGuire and their daughter and son of Dallas; and her son Drew and wife Korey Jackson and their 2 daughters and son of Little Rock; and Jack’s daughter Marcia Gorczyca and her son of Dallas and her 3 daughters of Austin, Texas; and by his son John and his wife Mischel Rule and their 3 daughters of Dallas, Texas. Jack is also survived by a large extended family of cousins.

There will be a memorial service on Tuesday, April 7, at 10:00 am, at First Methodist Church in Hot Springs.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers that memorial donations be made to The Caring Place of Hot Springs (101 Quapaw Ave, Hot Springs, AR, 71901), or Arkansas Hospice (www.arkansashospice.org).