Published in The Daily Sentinel (Grand Junction, CO) on Oct. 22, 2015:
Jack R. Watkins was the second of seven children born to Paul and Elma Watkins of Fruita, CO. Jack was raised in Fruita, CO, and graduated from Fruita High School in 1955.
He attended Mesa Junior College in Grand Junction before enlisting into the US Army. Jack became a medic and was stationed in Germany for four years; there he met and married his wife, Leonore "Lore" Umhofer, on May 22, 1959, in Guenzburg, Germany. Jack and Lore were the proud parents of four children, Harald P., Sylvia, Lori, and Shirley.
Jack graduated from the Army Officer Candidate School and received his commission as a first lieutenant. He was then assigned as a recruiting officer in Milwaukee, WI. Jack was accepted into the Army helicopter flight school. Jack was a survivor of 2 one-year tours of duty in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot, earning six Purple Heart medals and the Vietnam Medal of Valor. He was later a helicopter flight instructor and a flight safety inspector.
After retirement from the Army, Jack flew helicopters for Petroleum Helicopters to off-shore well sights in the Gulf of Mexico, flying out of Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Upon retiring from this, he flew helicopters for radio and television stations covering the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, area.
When they really retired, he and Lore traveled around the country, trying to find a place to set roots. They finally ended up in Sierra Vista, AZ, where he lost his battle with cancer twelve years later.
Surviving Jack is his wife for 56 years, Lore; son, Harald; daughters, Sylvia Moore (Marty), Lori Francis, and Shirley Diaz (Tony); five grandsons; five granddaughters; eight great-grandchildren; sisters, Paula Kay (Irvin) Johnson and Linda (Dean) Soderquist; brothers, Chuck (Carol), Jim (Linda), and Harold (Kristi).
Jack was preceded in death by his grandparents, James and Cordelia Watkins and James and Lilly Nicholls; parents; and brother, Larry.
Jack R. Watkins was the second of seven children born to Paul and Elma Watkins of Fruita, CO. Jack was raised in Fruita, CO, and graduated from Fruita High School in 1955.
He attended Mesa Junior College in Grand Junction before enlisting into the US Army. Jack became a medic and was stationed in Germany for four years; there he met and married his wife, Leonore "Lore" Umhofer, on May 22, 1959, in Guenzburg, Germany. Jack and Lore were the proud parents of four children, Harald P., Sylvia, Lori, and Shirley.
Jack graduated from the Army Officer Candidate School and received his commission as a first lieutenant. He was then assigned as a recruiting officer in Milwaukee, WI. Jack was accepted into the Army helicopter flight school. Jack was a survivor of 2 one-year tours of duty in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot, earning six Purple Heart medals and the Vietnam Medal of Valor. He was later a helicopter flight instructor and a flight safety inspector.
After retirement from the Army, Jack flew helicopters for Petroleum Helicopters to off-shore well sights in the Gulf of Mexico, flying out of Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Upon retiring from this, he flew helicopters for radio and television stations covering the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, area.
When they really retired, he and Lore traveled around the country, trying to find a place to set roots. They finally ended up in Sierra Vista, AZ, where he lost his battle with cancer twelve years later.
Surviving Jack is his wife for 56 years, Lore; son, Harald; daughters, Sylvia Moore (Marty), Lori Francis, and Shirley Diaz (Tony); five grandsons; five granddaughters; eight great-grandchildren; sisters, Paula Kay (Irvin) Johnson and Linda (Dean) Soderquist; brothers, Chuck (Carol), Jim (Linda), and Harold (Kristi).
Jack was preceded in death by his grandparents, James and Cordelia Watkins and James and Lilly Nicholls; parents; and brother, Larry.
Published in The Daily Sentinel (Grand Junction, CO) on Oct. 22, 2015:
Jack R. Watkins was the second of seven children born to Paul and Elma Watkins of Fruita, CO. Jack was raised in Fruita, CO, and graduated from Fruita High School in 1955.
He attended Mesa Junior College in Grand Junction before enlisting into the US Army. Jack became a medic and was stationed in Germany for four years; there he met and married his wife, Leonore "Lore" Umhofer, on May 22, 1959, in Guenzburg, Germany. Jack and Lore were the proud parents of four children, Harald P., Sylvia, Lori, and Shirley.
Jack graduated from the Army Officer Candidate School and received his commission as a first lieutenant. He was then assigned as a recruiting officer in Milwaukee, WI. Jack was accepted into the Army helicopter flight school. Jack was a survivor of 2 one-year tours of duty in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot, earning six Purple Heart medals and the Vietnam Medal of Valor. He was later a helicopter flight instructor and a flight safety inspector.
After retirement from the Army, Jack flew helicopters for Petroleum Helicopters to off-shore well sights in the Gulf of Mexico, flying out of Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Upon retiring from this, he flew helicopters for radio and television stations covering the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, area.
When they really retired, he and Lore traveled around the country, trying to find a place to set roots. They finally ended up in Sierra Vista, AZ, where he lost his battle with cancer twelve years later.
Surviving Jack is his wife for 56 years, Lore; son, Harald; daughters, Sylvia Moore (Marty), Lori Francis, and Shirley Diaz (Tony); five grandsons; five granddaughters; eight great-grandchildren; sisters, Paula Kay (Irvin) Johnson and Linda (Dean) Soderquist; brothers, Chuck (Carol), Jim (Linda), and Harold (Kristi).
Jack was preceded in death by his grandparents, James and Cordelia Watkins and James and Lilly Nicholls; parents; and brother, Larry.
Jack R. Watkins was the second of seven children born to Paul and Elma Watkins of Fruita, CO. Jack was raised in Fruita, CO, and graduated from Fruita High School in 1955.
He attended Mesa Junior College in Grand Junction before enlisting into the US Army. Jack became a medic and was stationed in Germany for four years; there he met and married his wife, Leonore "Lore" Umhofer, on May 22, 1959, in Guenzburg, Germany. Jack and Lore were the proud parents of four children, Harald P., Sylvia, Lori, and Shirley.
Jack graduated from the Army Officer Candidate School and received his commission as a first lieutenant. He was then assigned as a recruiting officer in Milwaukee, WI. Jack was accepted into the Army helicopter flight school. Jack was a survivor of 2 one-year tours of duty in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot, earning six Purple Heart medals and the Vietnam Medal of Valor. He was later a helicopter flight instructor and a flight safety inspector.
After retirement from the Army, Jack flew helicopters for Petroleum Helicopters to off-shore well sights in the Gulf of Mexico, flying out of Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Upon retiring from this, he flew helicopters for radio and television stations covering the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, area.
When they really retired, he and Lore traveled around the country, trying to find a place to set roots. They finally ended up in Sierra Vista, AZ, where he lost his battle with cancer twelve years later.
Surviving Jack is his wife for 56 years, Lore; son, Harald; daughters, Sylvia Moore (Marty), Lori Francis, and Shirley Diaz (Tony); five grandsons; five granddaughters; eight great-grandchildren; sisters, Paula Kay (Irvin) Johnson and Linda (Dean) Soderquist; brothers, Chuck (Carol), Jim (Linda), and Harold (Kristi).
Jack was preceded in death by his grandparents, James and Cordelia Watkins and James and Lilly Nicholls; parents; and brother, Larry.
Inscription
Major, US Army
Vietnam War
Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star,
and Purple Heart
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