(June 19, 1931 - October 6, 2021)
John William (Jack) Child (90) of Eastham, MA passed away October 6, 2021. Jack was a native Rho’D’islander who loved the water and lived his entire life close to shore – be it fresh or salt. From his childhood days in Barrington, RI, diving from the Massasoit Avenue bridge and swimming in the Barrington River, through his adult life waterskiing with his children and early morning swimming in Echo Lake in Pascoag, RI, to avid oystering in Wellfleet Harbor in his retirement years on Cape Cod, he was never far from the water.
Jack was born on June 19, 1931 in Providence, RI, to Frank and Annie Nielson (Hunter) Child. He graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 1953 and earned his Master’s degree at Yale University in 1955. Following two years active duty in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, Jack joined the Raytheon Corporation where he had a rewarding thirty-plus year career as a microwave engineer in the Missile Systems Division, including work on the Patriot Missile System.
Jack and his college sweetheart, Avis May Buxton, were wed on February 3, 1955. They raised their family in Natick, MA, and in 1990, retired to Eastham, MA. Throughout his adult life, Jack was active in his community, volunteering in service organizations and his church. In Eastham, Jack and Avis were active in the Eastham United Methodist Church, the Nauset Newcomers, the Lower Cape Outreach Council, and the Eastham Council on Aging. Their proudest and most enjoyable achievement in the Nauset Newcomers was organizing and leading an annual Nauset Newcomers Ski Trip to the Landgrove Inn in Vermont. Jack was also a very involved user of the Eastham Public Library, taking French through their community education program. This culminated in a life changing trip Avis and Jack took to France, where (according to him), it was said: “vous parlez comme un natif! ”
Jack was an energetic and dedicated family man. Summers at their lake cottage (Camp) in Pascoag, RI were filled with days on the Lake, blueberry pancakes, and good times with friends and neighbors. Camp was located near relatives, and a short summer workday commute from Raytheon. It was a favorite place for family time with children and grandchildren.
A life-long athlete, Jack threw the javelin competitively in college, swam across the cove daily at Echo Lake, and ran three miles a day for many decades. He skied, rode his bicycle, played tennis, and charmed the crowd at Willy’s Gym well into his 80s. His love of animals over the years included caring for many a household kitty, playing with neighborhood dogs, and spending hours in fascinated study of the backyard birds attracted to his many feeders.
Jack is survived by his son Dr. John Allen Child of Falmouth; daughter Julie (Hank) Child O’Brien; several nieces and nephews; and five grandchildren, Lindsay, Jack, and Sam Child, and Ian and Dora O’Brien. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother F. Chester, and sister Connie. His beloved wife, Avis passed away March 24, 2022.
Jack’s family is profoundly grateful to the loving caregivers that enriched his life and supported our family in his final years and to people of Harbor Point at Centerville where Jack spent his final months in a deeply caring environment. Final arrangements were handled by the Nickerson Funeral Home in Orleans.
A Joint Celebration of Life for Jack and Avis will take place at the United Methodist Church in Eastham, MA at 11:30 am on April 30th, preceded by an interment at Evergreen cemetery in Eastham. Memorials gifts may be made to the Lower Cape Outreach Council, Friends of the Eastham Council on Aging, Friends of the Cape Cod National Seashore, and People for Cats in Falmouth.
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