Jack is survived by his wife, Helen, his four children, Brent (Michele) Devitt, Annette Devitt, Teresa Devitt, and Valerie (Eliseo) Escobedo; grandchildren, Brendan Devitt, Christine (Dave) Stoliker, Madeleine (Luke) Kraus, Catherine (Clay) Morris, Heather Brooke and Marie Brooke; and great-grandchildren, Camden, Hailey, and Ella. He was preceded in death by a son, Gregory.
Jack was a long-time educator, teaching vocational agriculture at Ottoville Local Schools and Delphos City Schools, serving as the Director of Adult Education at Vantage Vocational School in Van Wert, and working as a Life Education Advisor at the Lima Engine Ford Plant.
During his lifetime, he was an active member and officer of many organizations, including Secretary and President of the Ohio Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association, Secretary of Ohio Adult Director’s Association, Secretary of Van Wert Rotary Club, President of Ottoville Local Teachers Association, President and Secretary of Ottoville Holy Name Society, member of Knights of Columbus, and President of Putnam County Retired Teachers Association. Jack was a 4-H advisor for the Ottoville Blue Ribbon Winners club, and he served as a Eucharistic minister at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Ottoville.
Jack was also well-known for being an avid collector of antique tools. He enjoyed almost everything about old antique tools, except hauling them around, and at one time had a collection of over 2000 Ohio made tools. He was an award-winning member of the Midwestern Tool Collectors Association, served as President of Ohio Tool Collectors Association, and was editor of “The Ohio Tool Box” a publication of the Ohio Tool Collectors Association. He also wrote two books, Ohio Toolmakers and Indiana Toolmakers and Their Tools.
Throughout his life, Jack was an avid golfer, a runner, a woodcarver, and a collector of arrowheads. He enjoyed traveling around the United States with his family and to Europe, Asia, and South America with his wife during retirement. The family would like to extend their thanks to the staff at the Heritage in Findlay, for their care of Jack during the last four years.
A mass of Christian Burial will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, May 2, 2025, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Ottoville, with Very Reverend George Mahas officiating. Burial will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Ottoville. Family will receive friends from 2:00 to 8:00 pm on Thursday at Love-Heitmeyer Funeral Home, Jackson Township, and again on Friday from 9:00 to 10:00 am.
Memorial contributions can be made to a scholarship fund with the Mid West Tool Collectors Association ℅ Kris Wallace, 254 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94118 or to the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.lovefuneralhome.com.