William Jack Down Ph.D.

Born July 22, 1924 in Lansing; died August 27, 2010 at the age of 86. Jack was a life resident of East Lansing, attending Bailey School and East Lansing High School. He earned a doctorate at Michigan State University in International Education. He had many teaching experiences in the area, including Holt, St. Johns, and Principal of Webberville High School; he was also head of counseling at East Lansing High School for 10 years. Much of his work experiences were overseas, working with veterans in American Samoa; principal of high schools in Bolivia, Liberia, and Colombia; constructing schools for the deaf and blind for the Christian Blind Mission out of Germany in Somalia, Uganda and Lesotho. He organized technical schools for the Vietnamese Military. He also spent several years in the Philippines helping set up a soap factory which blind people could operate. Jack was a very versatile man, a musician, an artist, an author, an architect, an antique car collector, a photographer and a builder. He will be truly missed by family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his grandson, Earl. Surviving are his wife, Marilyn; daughter, Elaine (Jeffrey) Angstman; sons, Eugene (Gwen) Down and Evan (Mary) Down; 6 grandchildren, Eldon (Mary Jo), Ethan, Leah, Evelyn, Katherine and Christine; and 2 great-grandchildren, Chloe and Irysh.

A memorial service for Jack will be held Thursday, September 9, at 11:00 a.m. at Peoples Church, 200 W. Grand River Avenue, East Lansing with the Rev. Penelope Swartz officiating. Those desiring may make contributions to Adopt-A-Grandparent, a non-profit organization to help impoverished senior citizens in the slums of Lima, Peru; a charity in which his daughter has worked with for nearly 10 years. Donations may be sent to Elaine Angstman, 927 S. Barnes St., Mason, MI 48854.