FLEGG, Jack William, of Davison, MI, age 89, passed away Saturday, October 3, 2020, at Hurley Hospital in Flint, Michigan. Cremation has taken place and a Memorial Service will be held at a later date.
Jack was born in Lowestoft, Suffolk, England, on August 6, 1931, son of the late William and Eileen (Slater) Flegg. He was the eldest of eight siblings.
Jack is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Diana; his three loving children, Janet Eaton (Sean), Steven Flegg (Linda), and Mark Flegg (Betsy); two grandchildren, Laura Eaton and Brian Eaton (Sarah); one great-grandchild, Amelia Eaton; and his sisters Edna and Pam. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Gilbert and Peter, and his sisters Pearl, Jacqueline, and Peggy.
Jack's childhood in England was clouded by World War 2, and he maintained a lifelong interest in the history of that war. He was passionate about history, especially about the history of England and of his own family . He was fascinated by genealogy and traced his ancestors back to 1745. Through his research, he broadened his knowledge of his family and met additional family members.
Jack met Diana at age 19 at a Lowestoft youth club, and they married on July 26, 1952. Immediately after they married, Jack served in the Royal Air Force and was stationed in Dover. He and Diana had a nearby apartment.
Jack began his career in the automotive industry as an apprentice and worked as a draftsman and designer at several different companies, including the Coach Works in Lowestoft. He finished his career at Daimler Chrysler, where he specialized in front bumper work. Later in his career, he learned Computer Aided Design and taught it to others.
In 1963, he, his wife, and his two eldest children moved from England to the Detroit area of Michigan in the United States, where there was more opportunity for a young man working in the auto industry. He and his family lived in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, for several years, where he and Diana maintained a large and beautiful garden, took road trips to explore their new state and country, and had a third child. During this time, Jack became interested in antiques and collected horse brasses from England.
After a return to England for several months in 1969, the family settled in Fraser, Michigan. Jack and Diana continued their interest in flower gardening and travel, and Jack pursued his interests in history along with other hobbies. For a time, he raised tropical fish, specializing in fancy guppies. He developed an interest in the works of Charles Dickens and read all the Dickens novels he could find. He enjoyed computers and used a Windows PC from the time of DOS through Windows 10.
After retiring from Chrysler, Jack and Diana moved to Kendallville, Indiana, which they grew to love. They had a large house on five acres of land where they grew flowers and watched deer and other wildlife. They traveled the world, going on guided tours to China, Egypt, India, Morocco, England, Ireland, Scotland, and other countries. They traveled to every state in the United States. Their most recent trip was an Alaskan cruise.
In Kendallville, they joined the local senior center, participating in social activities and lots of volunteering. Jack helped manage finances and more for a senior housing building and dropped off small gifts for the residents at Christmas. He helped with outings for residents of a local retirement community. He loved Christmas and set up displays of elves and santas and more on tables and bookshelves every year, along with a joyfully decorated tree.
In 2017, Jack and Diana moved back to Michigan to be closer to their children. They found a house in Davison, near their son Steven in Metamora and just a little way away from their daughter in Ann Arbor. They continued to enjoy visiting and visits from their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchild. A highlight was when their youngest son, Mark, a trumpeter with the Flint Symphony, would visit from out-of-state to play in a concert and invite them to attend. Jack was very proud of all his children, but he especially liked seeing Mark's name in the program and hearing him play.
Jack was a kind and conscientious husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather who was much loved. He had a dry sense of humor and a smile that lit up his face when family visited or he visited with friends. He will be greatly missed.
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