Remembering Uncle Jack

I got a call yesterday afternoon from my cousin John, letting me know that his father - my Uncle Jack - passed away at the age of 99 a few days ago. Uncle Jack was 14 years younger than his brother - my father Nelson - and moved, along with his wife Helen, to California to start a career as a civilian engineer with the Navy back when I was just a child. I never got to know Uncle Jack, his wife Helen, and his four children until years later. Uncle Jack loved his job, and got to travel all over the world for meetings and speaking engagements. After he retired from the Navy, he taught engineering at a university in England, and then came back to San Diego and taught at San Diego State. He was a really nice guy, highly intelligent, and I am glad I got to know him and the rest of the family in later years. The photograph above, by the way, is of Uncle Jack and his daughter Denise, who along with her husband Paul moved to San Diego to help Uncle Jack after he started to lose his eyesight. It was taken in Cannon Beach, Oregon at one of our Hoyt Family Reunions. Though it is sad to hear he passed away, I am very happy that Uncle Jack was able to have such a long and happy life.