Henry Jackson Garner

“Jack”

Oct. 21, 1922-Nov. 25, 2011

Jack was born in Bakersfield, CA. to a banker and a homemaker. Jack moved to San Francisco with his family after the 1929 economic crash. His father became a night watchman on the docks of San Francisco. In spite of family tragedies, which included the sudden death of his mother, Jack earned ‘A’s in school and entered UCLA at age 18-years-old. At age 20, he joined the army and went to fight in WWII. Just before he left for Germany, he was set up on a blind date by his frat brothers with the beautiful and quiet Helen Louise Burns. Helen was attending Berkeley at the time and they both felt a spark. Jack arranged with a local florist to have a dozen roses sent monthly to Helen while he was gone, in the hopes that she would not forget him.

Jack returned when the war ended and transferred to Berkeley to be near Helen. They were married June 30, 1947 at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church. Jack’s mother-in-law, Mary O’Brien Burns of Merced, loved her son-in-law dearly, and went on to treat him like her own son for the rest of her life.

Jack graduated with an accounting degree from Berkeley in May 1947 and he quickly passed the CPA exam. Jack and Helen lived for a few years in Menlo Park while Jack worked as an accountant in San Francisco for a large corporation. Jack wanted to work on his own and Helen missed her mother, so they moved permanently to Merced. Jack built an accounting office in Atwater and had a small office in Merced from 1952 until retiring in 1985. Jack and Helen also built a home together in Harris Acres. They loved the quiet neighborhood filled with long time friends.

Jack and Helen both loved to play bridge, read, gamble, travel, and listen to classical music. They both used to laugh at themselves as the quiet bridge players who also loved to play 21 in Reno. Jack and Helen spent their honeymoon in Lake Tahoe. There they discovered a mutual knack for the 21 tables. Throughout their many trips to Tahoe and Reno, they met Frank Sinatra, Montgomery Cliff, Van Johnson, and many others of their era.

The bridge groups that Jack and Helen attended also became their dearest of friends throughout their lives. Jack continued to attend bridge club at the senior center as long as possible. Helen preceded Jack in heaven when she passed away in July, 1995. They had been married for 48 years.

Jack was a brilliant man with a kind heart. He led an exemplary life filled with service and thoughts only of others. He is survived by his son Paul Garner of Merced, and grandchildren from Paul: Jason Garner of San Jose, Jeffrey Garner of Merced, and Krystal Cabana of Merced. Jack is also survived by his daughter, Alison Garner, of Oceanside, and a granddaughter from Alison, Katie Garner, of Oceanside.

Services will be on Friday, December 2, 2011 at 10:00am at Our Lady of Mercy, 435 W.21st St., Merced, CA. Burial will follow at Evergreen Memorial Park, 1480 B St., Merced, CA.

Arrangements under the direction of Stratford Evans Merced Funeral Home, Merced, CA.