Jack was born to Vernon and Eleanor (Hrdy) Vavra on December 13, 1942, in Sioux City, Iowa. Jack spent the early part of his childhood on a farm in rural Milligan, Nebraska, where he attended a one-room country school. When Jack was in third grade, his family moved to Lincoln. Jack was a graduate of Lincoln Southeast High School and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
While in college, Jack began working for the Lincoln Water System, thus beginning a long career of municipal service in a variety of roles including Business Manager for Public Works and Utilities and Finance Director for the City of Lincoln. In 1997, Jack accepted the position of City Administrator in York, Nebraska, serving in that role until his retirement in 2013. Jack served as a board member for the Nebraska Economic Development Corporation, and was a past president of the York Rotary Club.
Jack met the love of his life, Cheryl (Elam), at King’s Drive-In (south Lincoln) when he was 19 and she was 17. They married on June 13, 1964, at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Lincoln.
Jack is survived by his wife, Cheryl of Lincoln; daughters, Cindi (Larry) Fosler of Seward and Amy Vavra of Omaha; grandchildren, Ashley (Matt) Marlow, Ryan (Adry) Fosler, Trevor (Fiancée Julianne Ham) Fosler, all of Omaha; Jackson Fletcher of Denver, William Fletcher of Gainesville, Florida, and Claire Fletcher of Omaha; two great-grandchildren; sister Joan Drone of Orlando; Aunt JoAnn Keller of Tempe, Arizona; brother-in-law Bob (Candise) Elam of Plano, Texas; cousins; and nieces and nephews.
Jack was proceeded in death by his parents, brother-in-law, Bill Elam, and sister-in-law, Renee’ Elam.
Funeral services will be held Thursday, September 17, at 10 a.m. at the Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home Chapel. Jack’s family will greet visitors from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, September 16, at Lincoln Memorial. Memorials are suggested to the York Community Foundation (www.yorkcommunityfoundation.org) or the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Development Fund at the University of Nebraska Foundation.
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