Pipes, Jack R

Jack
R. Pipes, Lt. Col.(Ret.)

June
30, 1930 – July 22, 2020

Jack R. Pipes was a
native son of Texas, born in Rio Vista in1930, he passed away unexpectedly at
the ripe old age of 90 years. He studied agronomy at Texas Tech and worked for
a short time as a soil scientist for the state of New Mexico. He went on to
have a long and distinguished military career as an officer in the U.S. Army,
retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. His career began with a posting in France after
WWII where he met and married Yvette Mantz and with whom he had three children,
Frank, Marie-Lorraine, and Jean-Michel. During his military service Jack was
stationed in Vietnam, France, Korea, and Germany, and traveled often to the
Middle East on business. His last post was Rochester, NY, where the family
settled.

After leaving the Army,
Jack went on to have a long career working for an electronics company that
designed detection systems for the Israeli Air Force. During that time, he went
often to Israel and England. He visited many famous sites in Israel and found
the trips profoundly moving. He retired again but discovered he loved to work. He
reinvented himself once more and became a contracting officer for Unistel, a
sheltered workshop in Rochester NY.

When he finally stopped
working at 72 years old, he decided to return to his Texas roots. He and Yvette
built a new home on the old family farmstead. They spent winters enjoying the
land, food, and culture, reconnecting with old friends and family. His greatest
joys in life were his family, wintering in Rio Vista, and listening to country
music. He is survived by his wife, two younger children, seven grandchildren,
and one great-grandchild. He was the sweetest man that walked this Earth and
will be sorely missed. (https://midwaymoving.com/)

One last sad note we
would like to share is that Marlon James Hill, who took care of Jack in the
last year of his life, passed away four days before him at the age of 39. We
grieve with his family for his loss and will be eternally grateful to him for
the kindness and friendship he gave to Jack and our family.

We have decided to bury
Jack in Rio Vista, Texas so there will be no funeral here. However, there will
be a commemorative celebration of Jack’s life one year from his death in 2021
in Victor NY.