Jack Leroy Stacy

Jack Leroy Stacy, 65, passed away on Monday, July 29, 2019 at his home in Modesto, California. Jack is survived by his beloved wife of 32 years, Terri Stacy; his sons, Michael, Aaron, and William Stacy; his sisters Ruth Stacy, Cindy Baltazar, Carey Gibson, and Christine Souza. Additionally, he leaves behind many more friends- most notably his lifelong best friend, Dave Remick. He was born in Modesto, California on December 16, 1953 to Bill and Lucy Stacy who at the time lived in Turlock, California. Shortly after beginning grade school, Jack and his family moved to Modesto, California. This change in location was not immediately well-received by Jack Stacy, although in doing so it allowed him to meet his best friend Dave Remick. Jack and Dave shared many experiences throughout life- but their two biggest passions growing up were motorcycles and the outdoors. Together, these two would go fishing, riding, camping, and celebrating together for the decades to follow (and forming some very interesting memories that led to amazing stories later on). As the years wore on and families started being established, the fishing and camping trips became less frequent as did the motorcycle rides- but one thing that never waned was the strength and depth of their friendship. Despite whatever they faced in their lives, they would always come together for the holidays and especially for the annual crab feed events. Anyone that knows Jack Stacy knew just how much the man loved to eat. During and after high school, Jack worked for his father at the family business- Stacy’s Furniture. While in the furniture business, Jack quickly found how suited he was to working with his hands- something he was very familiar with as a result of working on furniture and his motorcycles. While he got his start as a tinkerer from his Grandfather Larrew- it was not until he landed a position on the maintenance crew at Louis Rich that he truly blossomed as a mechanic and machinist. From the experience he gathered at Louis Rich, he was able to move on to Monier Tile- and from there to Continental PET (soon to become Graham-Packaging). Finally, Jack landed at Foster Farms where he would work until the time of his passing.

The man was literally capable of fixing just about anything- and what he couldn’t fix with replacement parts- he could cobble something together to get it working long enough for replacement parts to arrive. From cars, motorcycles, and household appliances to multi-million-dollar industrial machinery- nothing was too complex or too difficult for him to tackle. Along the way he met several individuals whom he would consider lifelong friends (and speak fondly of constantly to his family)- most notably Tom Caswell at Louis Rich, Dale Fendley at Continental PET, and Jose Coehlo at Foster Farms. Much like with Dave Remick, these were life-long friends that Jack could pick up right where they left off even after not having been in contact for years.

Having personally met each of these people, I can see why my father liked each of them so much. They were a reflection of my father’s character, all were good men who shared the same values and morals that my father instilled into his boys. They were all unique in their own ways, they did not blend in, they were noticed for their individuality. My father truly valued the things that made someone special- and dreaded the traditional and unimaginative.

Jack Stacy was truly an amazing man, and those who were blessed to have met (or gotten to know) him can attest to this. He will be sorely missed by everyone, but mostly by his sons and his wife.