Jack Dewit Vail

Jack De Wit Vail, a long-time resident of Orange County and Temecula, California passed away peacefully on August 1, 2024, in Aldie, Virginia with his family by his side. He was born on May 6, 1931, to the late Geraldine Steif Tavenner Vail and Horace Delno Vail in Marion, Ohio.

Jack grew up in Mt. Gilead and Marion, Ohio. As a child he was fascinated with building and fixing things and by 10 years old had established his first wood shop with electrical outlets he had wired. As a teenager, Jack started building radio-controlled airplanes and continued designing and building planes - a hobby he continued until he was 91 years old. In 1949 he graduated from Harding High School and in 1950 enlisted in the Air Force during the Korean War and was assigned to Surveying and Photo Mapping Squadron where he graduated first in his class in ground power school. He traveled the hemisphere to 19 countries, setting up ground stations in remote locations and on mountaintops that were used to gather precise measurements of the earth to greatly improve maps. While in the Air Force, he was exposed to classical music and opera which was the start of a lifelong interest in music. Through another airman, Jack also took the first steps to becoming a Catholic and remained devoted to the faith for the rest of his life. In 1954 he received an honorable discharge from the Air Force, as a Staff Sergeant, and moved back to Ohio where he attended Ohio State University. He missed the warm weather climates he experienced in the Air Force and relocated to California where he worked as a distributor for the San Diego Union Tribune and sang in the San Diego Symphonic Choir. In 1961, he met his wife Joan Patricia Moran at a Catholic singles club and they were married for 62 years. They had two beloved daughters—Joan and Jacqueline. While in San Diego, Jack started a coffee vending company and soon became interested in sales promotion and joined the sales team at R.R. Perry Company, an advertising and marketing firm in Los Angeles. In 1967, they moved to Costa Mesa and then to Tustin in 1973. In 1978, Jack founded Vail Dunlap in Santa Ana, California with Paul Dunlap where Jack continued leading until his retirement in 1990. Jack also served as President and Treasurer of the Western Bank Marketing Association. Outside of work, Jack continued his hobby of wood working and designed and built patio covers, children’s playhouses, balance beams, 4th of July floats, furniture, and just about anything else his family requested.

In 1998, Joan and Jack retired to Temecula, California where they had 20 more wonderful years. He was a member of St. Catherine of Alexandria parish and the Temecula Flyers radio-controlled model airplane club. Even in his retirement, Jack still spent hours in his garage workshop designing model airplanes, listening to classical music, and designing and building custom furniture, mirrors, and gifts for his grandchildren. Jack was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather who was always there to help and support his family, with a warm sparkle in his bright blue eyes. In 2022, Joan and Jack moved to Leesburg, Virginia to be near family. Jack continued to have an insatiable curiosity for history and science and devoured information regarding artificial intelligence and dark matter even into his 93rd year. He stayed busy all day and, with discipline, broke at 4 pm for a single Manhattan - no cherry. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

Jack is survived by his daughter Joan Vail Grimson (Jeff), of Great Falls, Virginia; his grandchildren Jacqueline Anna Grimson and Julianna Vail Grimson and his sister Linda Ann Sabo (Ted) and is predeceased by his daughter, Jacqueline Bridget Vail, wife Joan Patricia Vail, sister Ruth Ellen Alves, and brother Alan Le Roy Vail.

A funeral mass in celebration of his life will be held at St. Thomas à Becket in Reston, Virginia on September 6th at 3pm followed by a graveside service at Pacific View Memorial Park in Corona del Mar, California on September 15th at 10am.