He was born October 12, 1950, in Alpine, Texas, to Jack Shely and Evelyn Barnett Shely, and he spent the majority of his youth in Brewster County on his family’s ranch, Tesnus. He attended Marathon High School and graduated in 1968; he was a standout athlete and was named an All West Texas football player. Jack was also active in rodeo circuits, where he did steer wrestling and calf roping. He was a cowboy first, but six-man football proved to be the path he’d follow in his career.
He served in the Army National Guard for 6 years and later attended Angelo State University, where he served as president of the Rodeo Club. Jack became a coach and teacher with his first job at Patton Springs. He later moved to Higgins, where he met his wife, Annette; they were married for 47 years and had two daughters, Lacey and Calinda.
Jack was a dedicated teacher and coach for his entire adult life; he used to joke that he and Annette could pick up and move at a moment’s notice—and they did a few times. His work ethic and dedication as both a teacher and coach were well-known. He believed in doing things right and to the best of his ability, and he tried to instill those values in his athletes and students. This dedication culminated in back-to-back six-man state championships at Amherst in 1994 and 1995; he also received numerous awards throughout his career, including Coach of the Year, and was inducted into the Texas Six-Man Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2007. He knew how to motivate his players, regardless of the sport, and his records in football, basketball, track, and cross country attest to the fact that coaching was his true calling.
Jack loved his family and was immensely proud of his daughters and four grandchildren. He was an animal lover and dedicated Jeopardy! watcher as well as an avid reader. We will miss him always, but we take comfort in knowing how many people’s lives he touched, particularly the “kids” he coached and loved like his own.
Visitation will be Thursday, March 26 from 6-8 pm at Johnson’s Funeral Home in San Angelo, and graveside services will be Friday, March 27 at 2 pm in Marathon, Texas.
Jack is survived by his wife, Annette, of San Angelo; daughter Lacey Epperson and favorite son-in-law Justin Epperson, along with their four children, Kinleigh, Kaedyn, Kyler, and Keelyn, of Rankin, Texas; and daughter Calinda Shely of Flagstaff, Arizona.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to either West Texas Rehab or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
